Effect of superior blepharoplasty on tear film: objective evaluation with the Keratograph 5M - a pilot study

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of superior blepharoplasty on the tear film using the corneal topographer Keratograph 5M. METHODS: A prospective study was performed of 27 eyes of 14 patients with superior dermatochalasis who underwent superior blepharoplasty between May and June 2016. Conservative upper eyelid blepharoplasty was performed by an en bloc resection of anterior lamellar tissue that included skin, subcutaneous tissue, and the orbicularis oculi muscle. All the eyes were imaged using the noninvasive tear breakup time tools of the Keratograph 5M. The following parameters were recorded in each patient before and 6 weeks after surgery: first noninvasive Keratograph 5M tear breakup time (the time at which the first breakup of tears occurs) and average noninvasive Keratograph 5M tear breakup time (the average time of all breakup incidents). The exclusion criteria were ophthalmological pathology, previous eyelid surgery, use of eye drops, systemic pathology, and medication that interferes with lacrimal tears. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 65.1 years (range, 51-84); 86% were female. Student's t-test was used to compare the values of first and average noninvasive Keratograph 5M tear breakup times before and after surgery. The values for first noninvasive Keratograph 5M tear breakup time evaluated before and after surgery were not significantly different (9.04 and 8.71, respectively; p=0.926). The values for average noninvasive Keratograph 5M tear breakup time evaluated before and after surgery were also not significantly different (13.01 seconds and 13.14 seconds, respectively; p=0.835). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this pilot study suggest that upper blepharoplasty does not affect tear breakup time according to the objective evaluation of breakup time with the Keratograph 5M.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Nonlinear dynamics of electromagnetic turbulence in a nonuniform magnetized plasma

By using the hydrodynamic electron response with fixed (kinetic) ions along with Poisson's equation as well as Ampere's law, a system of nonlinear equations for low-frequency (in comparison with the electron gyrofrequency) long-(short-) wavelength electromagnetic waves in a nonuniform resistive magnetoplasma has been derived. The plasma contains equilibrium density gradient and sheared equilibrium plasma flows. In the linear limit, local dispersion relations are obtained and analyzed. It is found that sheared equilibrium flows can cause instability of Alfven-like electromagnetic waves even in the absence of a density gradient. Furthermore, it is shown that possible stationary solutions of the nonlinear equations without dissipation can be represented in the form of various types of vortices. On the other hand, the temporal behavior of our nonlinear dissipative systems without the equilibrium density inhomogeneity can be described by the generalized Lorenz equations which admit chaotic trajectories. The density inhomogeneity may lead to even qualitative changes in the chaotic dynamics. The results of our investigation should be useful in understanding the linear and nonlinear properties of nonthermal electromagnetic waves in space and laboratory plasmas. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics.5361662

Narrativas orais: saberes e fazeres da arquitetura vern?cula na comunidade de S?o Gon?alo do Rio das Pedras (MG) e entorno

A presente pesquisa, Narrativas Orais: saberes e fazeres da arquitetura vern?cula na comunidade de S?o Gon?alo do Rio das Pedras ? (MG) e entorno, desenvolveu-se no ?mbito do programa de p?s-gradua??o interdisciplinar em Estudos Rurais PPGER/UFVJM. O estudo identifica as mem?rias que regem o saber e o fazer em rela??o ao labor, a ocupa??o dos espa?os e principalmente verifica os conhecimentos emp?ricos, acerca do saber local sobre as constru??es de casas, espa?os de trabalho e ranchos. Realizou-se pesquisas bibliogr?ficas, entrevistas por meio de trabalho de campo e observa??es etnogr?ficas com base na metodologia de pesquisa participante, houve levantamento dos conhecimentos presentes na oralidade em rela??o ? arquitetura vern?cula e a maneira como as pessoas se relacionam com suas constru??es, seus h?bitos de constru??es, seus procedimentos e suas reflex?es sobre suas ocupa??es espaciais e vida. Evidenciou-se que h? uma crise do habitar, em que o afastamento da autonomia construtiva tem sido um dos maiores impactos encontrados. Esse afastamento n?o se d? apenas pela escolha dos materiais, mas pela impossibilidade de escolher como habitar. Verifica-se as fun??es ambientais dos espa?os rurais na perspectiva da quest?o da constru??o como um modo de adaptar os materiais locais e sua rela??o com o ambiente. Evidenciaram-se os processos de transforma??o social diante das rela??es estabelecidas frente ao capitalismo, e a urg?ncia por uma ecologia de saberes.Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior (CAPES)Funda??o de Amparo ? Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG)Disserta??o (Mestrado) ? Programa de P?s-Gradua??o em Estudos Rurais, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, 2018.The present research, Oral Narratives: vernacular architecture knowledge and practices in the community of S?o Gon?alo do Rio das Pedras - (MG) and surroundings, was developed under the interdisciplinary postgraduate program in Rural Studies PPGER / UFVJM. The study identifies the memories that govern the knowledge and the doing in relation to work and the occupation of spaces and it particularly investigates the empirical knowledge the local residents have on the construction of houses, workspaces and ranches. Bibliographical research, fieldwork interviews and ethnographic observations were carried out based on the participant observation, research methodology. A survey was conducted in order to identify participants? oral knowledge regarding vernacular architecture and the way people relate to their constructions, their habits of building, their procedures and their reflections on their spatial occupations and life. It was evidenced that there is a crisis of dwelling and the loss of constructive autonomy has been one of its most critical impacts. This loss is not only due to the limited choice of materials, but also to the impossibility of choosing on how to live. The environmental functions of rural areas have been analyzed in light of construction as a way of adapting local materials and their relation to the environment. The processes of social transformation in the face of established relations with capitalism and the urgent need for an ecology of knowledge were evidenced.La presente investigaci?n, Narrativas orales: saberes y hacer de la arquitectura vern?cula en la comunidad de S?o Gon?alo do Rio das Pedras - (MG) y entorno, se desarroll? en el ?mbito del programa de postgrado interdisciplinario en Estudios Rurales PPGER / UFVJM. El estudio identifica las memorias que rigen el saber y el hacer en relaci?n a la labor, la ocupaci?n de los espacios y principalmente verifica los conocimientos emp?ricos, acerca del saber local sobre las construcciones de casas, espacios de trabajo y ranchos. Se realizaron investigaciones bibliogr?ficas, entrevistas por medio de trabajo de campo y observaciones etnogr?ficas con base en la metodolog?a de investigaci?n participante, hubo levantamiento de los conocimientos presentes en la oralidad en relaci?n a la arquitectura vern?cula y la manera como las personas se relacionan con sus construcciones, sus h?bitos de construcciones, sus procedimientos y sus reflexiones sobre sus ocupaciones espaciales y vida. Se evidenci? que hay una crisis del habitar, en que el alejamiento de la autonom?a constructiva ha sido uno de los mayores impactos encontrados. Este alejamiento no se da s?lo por la elecci?n de los materiales, sino por la imposibilidad de elegir como habitar. Se verifican las funciones ambientales de los espacios rurales en la perspectiva de la cuesti?n de la construcci?n como un modo de adaptar los materiales locales y su relaci?n con el ambiente. Se evidenciaron los procesos de transformaci?n social ante las relaciones establecidas frente al capitalismo, y la urgencia por una ecolog?a de saberes

The Demise of Multidrug-Resistant HIV-1: the National Time Trend in Portugal

OBJECTIVES: Despite a decreasing mortality and morbidity in treated HIV-1 patients, highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) can still fail due to the development of drug resistance. Especially, multidrug-resistant viruses pose a threat to efficient therapy. We studied the changing prevalence of multidrug resistance (MDR) over time in a cohort of HIV-1-infected patients in Portugal. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We used data of 8065 HIV-1-infected patients followed from July 2001 up to April 2012 in 22 hospitals located in Portugal. MDR at a specific date of sampling was defined as no more than one fully active drug (excluding integrase and entry inhibitors) at that time authorized by the Portuguese National Authority of Medicines and Health Products (INFARMED), as interpreted with the Rega algorithm version 8.0.2. A generalized linear mixed model was used to study the time trend of the prevalence of MDR. RESULTS: We observed a statistically significant decrease in the prevalence of MDR over the last decade, from 6.9% (95% CI: 5.7-8.4) in 2001-03, 6.0% (95% CI: 4.9-7.2) in 2003-05, 3.7% (95% CI: 2.8-4.8) in 2005-07 and 1.6% (95% CI: 1.1-2.2) in 2007-09 down to 0.6% (95% CI: 0.3-0.9) in 2009-12 [OR=0.80 (95% CI: 0.75-0.86); P<0.001]. In July 2011 the last new case of MDR was seen. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of multidrug-resistant HIV-1 is decreasing over time in Portugal, reflecting the increasing efficiency of HAART and the availability of new drugs. Therefore, in designing a new drug, safety and practical aspects, e.g. less toxicity and ease of use, may need more attention than focusing mainly on efficacy against resistant strains.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Chaos in the parallel sheared plasma flow driven electromagnetic turbulence in nonuniform magnetoplasmas

By employing the two-fluid model, a system of nonlinear equations for low-frequency electromagnetic waves in nonuniform collisional magnetoplasmas has been derived. The plasma contains both the equilibrium density gradient and sheared flows. In the linear limit, a local dispersion relation has been obtained and analyzed in several interesting limiting cases. It is found that equilibrium sheared plasma flows cause instabilities of Alfven-type waves even in the absence of the density gradient. The numerical results also show a large growth rate of electromagnetic parallel velocity shear (PVS) mode compared to the electrostatic mode for some ionospheric parameters. For this case, the temporal nonlinear behavior of the relevant governing mode coupling equations is governed by six coupled equations, which are a generalization of the Lorenz-Stenflo equations and which admit chaotic trajectories. The results of this investigation should be useful for understanding the linear and nonlinear properties of electromagnetic waves that are generated by sheared plasma flows in magnetized plasmas. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S1070-664X(99)03604-6].641107111

Influence of different bulk agents in the rheological and sensory characteristics of diet and light chocolate

A study was made of various bulk agents as sucrose substitutes in the formulation of chocolate, aiming to obtain a diet product in terms of sucrose and a light product in terms of calories (25% fewer calories than standard formulations containing sucrose) with good sensorial acceptance. The bulk agents used in this study were polydextrose, inulin, fructo-oligosaccharides - FOS, lactitol and maltitol. Sucralose was used as a high intensity sweetener. The light chocolates were analyzed for moisture content (Karl Fischer), particle size (digital micrometer), and rheological properties (Casson plastic viscosity eta(ca), and yield strength, tau(ca)). The moisture content of the light chocolate varied from 1.23 to 2.12%, while particle size varied from 19 to 24 mu m, eta(ca) from 6.60 to 11.00 Pa.s, and tau(ca) from 0.05 to 1.10 Pa. The formulations containing polydextrose, polydextrose and lactitol, and polydextrose and maltitol were selected for a sensory analysis due to their good technological performance and adequate machinability of the chocolate mass in the different stages of the process. The sensory analysis revealed no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05) in the three evaluated formulations in terms of aroma, hardness, melting in the mouth and flavor. There was no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05) in the intention to purchase the three chocolate formulations, although a preference was shown for the formulation containing polydextrose (32.60%) and maltitol (15.57%).27361462

Coronaviridae—Old friends, new enemy!

Coronaviridae is a family of single‐stranded positive enveloped RNA viruses. This article aimed to review the history of these viruses in the last 60 years since their discovery to understand what lessons can be learned from the past. A review of the PubMed database was carried out, describing taxonomy, classification, virology, genetic recombination, host adaptation, and main symptoms related to each type of virus. SARS‐CoV‐2 is responsible for the ongoing global pandemic, and SARS‐CoV and MERS‐CoV were responsible for causing severe respiratory illness and regional epidemics in the past while the four other strains of CoVs (229‐E OC43, NL63, and HKU1) circulate worldwide and normally only cause mild upper respiratory tract infections. Given the enormous diversity of coronavirus viruses in wildlife and their continuous evolution and adaptation to humans, future outbreaks would undoubtedly occur. Restricting or banning all trade in wild animals in wet markets would be a necessary measure to reduce future zoonotic infections

Oral tolerance to cancer can be abrogated by T regulatory cell inhibition

Oral administration of tumour cells induces an immune hypo-responsiveness known as oral tolerance. We have previously shown that oral tolerance to a cancer is tumour antigen specific, non-cross-reactive and confers a tumour growth advantage. We investigated the utilisation of regulatory T cell (Treg) depletion on oral tolerance to a cancer and its ability to control tumour growth. Balb/C mice were gavage fed homogenised tumour tissue – JBS fibrosarcoma (to induce oral tolerance to a cancer), or PBS as control. Growth of subcutaneous JBS tumours were measured; splenic tissue excised and flow cytometry used to quantify and compare systemic Tregs and T effector (Teff) cell populations. Prior to and/or following tumour feeding, mice were intraperitoneally administered anti-CD25, to inactivate systemic Tregs, or given isotype antibody as a control. Mice which were orally tolerised prior to subcutaneous tumour induction, displayed significantly higher systemic Treg levels (14% vs 6%) and faster tumour growth rates than controls (p<0.05). Complete regression of tumours were only seen after Treg inactivation and occurred in all groups - this was not inhibited by tumour feeding. The cure rates for Treg inactivation were 60% during tolerisation, 75% during tumour growth and 100% during inactivation for both tolerisation and tumour growth. Depletion of Tregs gave rise to an increased number of Teff cells. Treg depletion post-tolerisation and post-tumour induction led to the complete regression of all tumours on tumour bearing mice. Oral administration of tumour tissue, confers a tumour growth advantage and is accompanied by an increase in systemic Treg levels. The administration of anti-CD25 Ab decreased Treg numbers and caused an increase in Teffs. Most notably Treg cell inhibition overcame established oral tolerance with consequent tumor regression, especially relevant to foregut cancers where oral tolerance is likely to be induced by the shedding of tumour tissue into the gut