20 research outputs found
Denoising using local projective subspace methods
In this paper we present denoising algorithms for enhancing noisy signals based on Local ICA (LICA), Delayed AMUSE (dAMUSE)
and Kernel PCA (KPCA). The algorithm LICA relies on applying ICA locally to clusters of signals embedded in a high-dimensional
feature space of delayed coordinates. The components resembling the signals can be detected by various criteria like estimators of
kurtosis or the variance of autocorrelations depending on the statistical nature of the signal. The algorithm proposed can be applied
favorably to the problem of denoising multi-dimensional data. Another projective subspace denoising method using delayed coordinates
has been proposed recently with the algorithm dAMUSE. It combines the solution of blind source separation problems with denoising
efforts in an elegant way and proofs to be very efficient and fast. Finally, KPCA represents a non-linear projective subspace method that
is well suited for denoising also. Besides illustrative applications to toy examples and images, we provide an application of all algorithms
considered to the analysis of protein NMR spectra.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
House dust fungal communities’ characterization: a double take on the six by sixty by six (6 × 60 × 6) project
Fungi are a group of microbes that are found with
particular incidence in the indoor environment. Their direct
toxicity or capability of generating toxic compounds
has been associated with a large number of adverse health
effects, such as infectious diseases and allergies. Given
that in modern society people spend a large part of their
time indoors; fungal communities’ characterization of this
environmental compartment assumes paramount importance
in the comprehension of health effects. House dustThis work was supported by European Funds through
COMPETE and by National Funds through the Portuguese
Science Foundation (FCT) within project PEstOE/SAU/UI0709/2014.
Ana C. A. Sousa and Sónia D. Coelho
acknowledge FCT for the grants SFRH/BPD/65884/2009
and SFRH/
BD/78168/2011 (supported by funding from the Human
Potential Operational Programme POPH, inscribed in
the National Strategic Reference Framework and partially
subsidized by the European Social Fund).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Avaliação da qualidade da informação sobre a causa básica de óbitos infantis no Rio Grande do Sul (Brasil) Assessment of the quality of information on basic causes of infant death in Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil)
A partir de dados coletados para um estudo de casos e controles sobre mortalidade infantil por doenças infecciosas e desnutrição realizado em Porto Alegre e Pelotas, RS (Brasil), comparou-se as causas de óbito constantes do atestado médico com as causas obtidas através de uma revisão detalhada, realizada pela equipe da investigação. Concluiu-se que as estatísticas oficiais não são fidedignas, tendo havido sobre-registro de broncopneumonias (CID 485X) e de septicemias (CID 038.9), e sub-registro de gastroenterites (CID 009.1) e de mortes súbitas (CID 798.0). A concordância entre os atestados refeitos e os oficiais, em termos de grupos de causas de óbito, foi de apenas 27.9%.<br>The validity of the official information on the causes of infant deaths was studied in the Brazilian cities of Porto Alegre and Pelotas in 1985. Using data collected for a population-based case-control study of infant mortality due to infectious diseases or malnutrition, a comparison was made between the causes of death reported on the death certificates and those obtained after a careful review of case-notes and a medical interview with the parents of the deceased infants. Official death certificates showed an excess of deaths attribute to bronchopneumonia (ICD 485X) and septicemia (ICD 038.9), and an underestimation of the number of deaths due to diarrheal diseases (ICD 009.1) and of sudden infant deaths (ICD 798.0). The overall rate of agreement between official and revised certificates, in terms of groups of causes of death, was only 27.9%. Lower respiratory infections, which were the leading infectious cause of infant deaths according to official statistics, were superseded by diarrheal diseases after this revision
Biochemical, thermographic, and follicular responses of murine models of hormone-treated bovine ovarian renal capsule xenografts
ABSTRACT: This study aimed to evaluate the characteristics of two different murine models of hormone-treated renal-encapsulated bovine ovarian tissue xenotransplantation. Two immunodeficient mouse models (BALB/c Nude and C57BL6 SCID) were xenografted with ovarian pieces from heifers and each group was subjected to two hormonal treatments of eCG or a combination of FSH+LH. Donor ovaries and recipients were evaluated by histology and infrared thermography at different times. At the time of xenograft collection, animals were evaluated for alterations in hepatorenal biochemistry. The statistical test used in the study was ANOVA, followed by Tukey’s test. Among the strains, 80% of C57BL6 SCID and 77% of BALB/c Nude mice showed development and vascularization of the transplanted tissue, which acquired cyclicity at 19 and 9 days post-transplant, respectively. Hemorrhagic follicles in xenografts induced with FSH+LH were found in the C57BL6 SCID strain. Infrared thermography was insufficient to distinguish the tissue donor recipient. In conclusion, the C57BL6 SCID strain appears to be the best host for ovarian xenografts, since the transplants in these mice were viable and showed robust follicular development. This work will aid future choices of immunodeficient strains for xenografting procedures
Promoção da amamentação em localidade urbana da região sul do Brasil: estudo de intervenção randomizado A randomized intervention trial to increase breast-feeding prevalence in southern Brazil
Foi realizado em Pelotas, RS, Brasil, estudo de intervenção randomizado, para a promoção do aleitamento materno. Grupo de 450 mães e lactentes foram visitados em casa aos 5, 10 e 20 dias após o nascimento, e comparados com um grupo-controle do mesmo número. Noventa e dois por cento das famílias no grupo de intervenção receberam as três visitas planejadas. A avaliação do padrão de aleitamento materno e causas de desmame aconteceu seis meses depois do nascimento para ambos os grupos. Noventa e quatro por cento do grupo de intervenção e noventa e dois por cento do grupo-controle foram encontrados na visita de avaliação. A intervenção aumentou a duração do aleitamento (mediana de 120 dias no grupo de intervenção, contra 105 dias no grupo-controle; p=0,03) e retardou a introdução do leite artificial (mediana de idade de 90 dias no grupo de intervenção e 60 dias no grupo-controle; p=0,01). As causas de desmame foram classificadas como subjacentes, intermediárias, e imediatas. A causa subjacente mais comum foi "o bebê chora muito", sugerindo que as mães devem ser instruídas a respeito dos padrões normais de comportamento do lactente nas primeiras semanas de vida, em particular da necessidade que a criança tem de chorar e o fato de que isto, não necessariamente, significa fome.<br>A randomized intervention trial to promote breast-feeding was carried out in southern Brazil. A group of 450 mothers and babies was visited at home 5, 10 and 20 days after birth and compared to a non-visited control group of the same size. Ninety-two per cent of the families visited received the three home visits planned. The evaluation of breast-feeding patterns and reasons for weaning took place 6 months after birth for both groups. Ninety-four per cent of the group visited and 92% of the non-visited controls group were traced on the occasion of the assessment. The intervention increased the duration of breastfeeding (median duration of 120 days in the group visited and 105 days in the controls; p=0.03) and delayed the introduction of milk bottles (median age of introduction of 90 days in the group visited and 60 days in the controls; p=0,01), Causes of weaning were classified as underlying, intermediate and immediate. The most common underlying cause of weaning was "the baby cried too much", which suggests that mothers should be taught about normal patterns of infant behaviour in the first weeks of life, particularly the need for crying, and the fact that this not necessarily reflects hunger
House dust fungal communities’ characterization: a double take on the six by sixty by six (6 × 60 × 6) project
Fungi are a group of microbes that are found with
particular incidence in the indoor environment. Their direct
toxicity or capability of generating toxic compounds
has been associated with a large number of adverse health
effects, such as infectious diseases and allergies. Given
that in modern society people spend a large part of their
time indoors; fungal communities’ characterization of this
environmental compartment assumes paramount importance
in the comprehension of health effects. House dust is an easy to obtain, time-integrative matrix, being its use
in epidemiological studies on human exposure to environmental
contaminants highly recommended. Furthermore,
dust can carry a great variety of fungal content that undergoes
a large number of processes that modulate and
further complexify human exposure. Our study aims to
identify and quantify the fungal community on house dust
samples collected using two different methodologies (an
approach not often seen in the literature): active (vacuum
cleaner bags) and passive sampling (dust settled in petri
dishes). Sampling was performed as part of the ongoing
6 × 60 × 6 Project in which six houses from Covilhă (Portugal),
with building dates representative of six decades,
were studied for a period of sixty days