Towns with extremely low mortality due to ischemic heart disease in Spain

BACKGROUND: The cause of coronary disease inframortality in Spain is unknown. The aim of this study is to identify Spanish towns with very low ischemic heart disease mortality, describe their health and social characteristics, and analyze the relationship with a series of contextual factors. METHODS: We obtained the number of deaths registered for each of 8,122 Spanish towns in the periods 1989-1998 and 1999-2003. Expected deaths, standardized mortality ratio (SMR), smoothed Relative Risk (RR), and Posterior Probability (PP) of RR > 1 were calculated using Bayesian hierarchical models. Inframortality was defined as any town that displayed an RR below the 10th percentile, an SMR of under 1 for both sexes, and a PP of RR > 1 less than or equal to 0.002 for male and 0.005 for female mortality, during the two periods covered. All the remaining towns, except for those with high mortality classified as "tourist towns", were selected as controls. The association among socioeconomic, health, dietary, lifestyle and vascular risk factors was analyzed using sequential mixed logistic regression models, with province as the random-effects variable. RESULTS: We identified 32 towns in which ischemic heart disease mortality was half the national rate and four times lower than the European Union rate, situated in lightly populated provinces spread across the northern half of Spain, and revealed a surprising pattern of geographic aggegation for 23 of the 32 towns. Variables related with inframortality were: a less aged population (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.89-0.99); a contextual dietary pattern marked by a high fish content (OR 2.13, 95% CI 1.38-3.28) and wine consumption (OR 1.50, 95% CI 1.08-2.07); and a low prevalence of obesity (OR 0.47, 95% CI 0.22-1.01); and, in the case of towns of over 1000 inhabitants, a higher physician-population ratio (OR 3.80, 95% CI 1.17-12.3). CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that dietary and health care factors have an influence on inframortality. The geographical aggregation suggests that other factors with a spatial pattern, e.g., genetic or environmental might also be implicated. These results will have to be confirmed by studies in situ, with objective measurements at an individual level.This study was funded by research study grant no. PI06/0656 from Spain's Health Research Fund (Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria).S

Modelling the magnetic field of the acceleration channel End-Hall ion source

In recent decades, the End-Hall ion sources have been used in the optical coating industry for ion-assisted deposition and surface pre-cleaning operations e.g. /1, 2/. The employ of gridless ion sources based on magnetoplasmadynamic thrusters and Hall effect has been beneficial for many applications, because they have a relatively high ion flux density, wide spatial distribution, moderate beam energy levels of approximately 60-200 eV, and its ability to handle either inert or reactive gases. However, as modern manufacturing processes scale to larger systems, higher rates, and larger substrate areas, it has become necessary to increase power capacity of the End-Hall ion sources, reduce form-factor sand significantly improve their service ability and maintenance requirements and, thereby, reduce cost of ownership. In Hall-effect ion sources, the magnetic field B is perpendicular to the discharge current forms a barrier to electron transport from the cathode to the anode at a specific location in space, leading to the increase of the electric field E in the plasma at that location, in a direction perpendicular to the magnetic field. This electric field accelerates ions away from the source. The resulting cross-field configuration generates a current (the Hall current) that direction is perpendicular to the E×B fields e.g /3, 4/. Most Hall-effect ion sources have an axially symmetric design in which the applied magnetic field and the resulting electric field are such that the Hall current is generate in the azimuthal direction. In this configuration, the anode is at the end of the channel and the exhaust (and acceleration region) is at the other end. In the End-Hall ion configuration, the anode has a conical shape, the acceleration region is close to the anode surface, and the beam divergence is larger

Modelling the magnetic field of the acceleration channel End-Hall ion source

In recent decades, the End-Hall ion sources have been used in the optical coating industry for ion-assisted deposition and surface pre-cleaning operations e.g. /1, 2/. The employ of gridless ion sources based on magnetoplasmadynamic thrusters and Hall effect has been beneficial for many applications, because they have a relatively high ion flux density, wide spatial distribution, moderate beam energy levels of approximately 60-200 eV, and its ability to handle either inert or reactive gases. However, as modern manufacturing processes scale to larger systems, higher rates, and larger substrate areas, it has become necessary to increase power capacity of the End-Hall ion sources, reduce form-factor sand significantly improve their service ability and maintenance requirements and, thereby, reduce cost of ownership. In Hall-effect ion sources, the magnetic field B is perpendicular to the discharge current forms a barrier to electron transport from the cathode to the anode at a specific location in space, leading to the increase of the electric field E in the plasma at that location, in a direction perpendicular to the magnetic field. This electric field accelerates ions away from the source. The resulting cross-field configuration generates a current (the Hall current) that direction is perpendicular to the E×B fields e.g /3, 4/. Most Hall-effect ion sources have an axially symmetric design in which the applied magnetic field and the resulting electric field are such that the Hall current is generate in the azimuthal direction. In this configuration, the anode is at the end of the channel and the exhaust (and acceleration region) is at the other end. In the End-Hall ion configuration, the anode has a conical shape, the acceleration region is close to the anode surface, and the beam divergence is larger

Perceived effects of aromatherapy to the test taking anxiety of first year nursing students of De La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute for academic year 2018-2019

The study utilized a descriptive, non-experimental design. Purposive sampling was used to select 141 first year nursing students of De La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute Academic Year 2018 to 2019 who have knowledge or have undergone aromatherapy. Data was obtained using a questionnaire and analyzed through frequency distribution, percentage distribution, mean, t-test, standard deviation and t-test. The following conclusions were drawn: 1) Majority of the respondents were female, belonged to the socioeconomic group P100,000 to P249,999 and Catholic; 2) A mean of 3.06 indicated that the respondents had high perception regarding the effects of aromatherapy to the test taking anxiety of the respondents; 3) There was no significant difference on the perception of the respondents on aromatherapy to the test taking anxiety when they were grouped according to sex, religion, and socioeconomic status

PET/MRI: Where might it replace PET/CT?

Simultaneous positron emission tomography and MRI (PET/MRI) is a technology that combines the anatomic and quantitative strengths of MR imaging with physiologic information obtained from PET. PET and computed tomography (PET/CT) performed in a single scanning session is an established technology already in widespread and accepted use worldwide. Given the higher cost and complexity of operating and interpreting the studies obtained on a PET/MRI system, there has been question as to which patients would benefit most from imaging with PET/MRI versus PET/CT. In this article, we compare PET/MRI with PET/CT, detail the applications for which PET/MRI has shown promise and discuss impediments to future adoption. It is our hope that future work will prove the benefit of PET/MRI to specific groups of patients, initially those in which PET/CT and MRI are already performed, leveraging simultaneity and allowing for greater degrees of multiparametric evaluation.Level of evidence5 Technical Efficacy: Stage 5 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2017;46:1247-1262

LBW and SGA Impact Longitudinal Growth and Nutritional Status of Filipino Infants - Fig 3

<p><b>Length-for-age (LAZ), weight-for-length (WLZ) and weight-for-age (WAZ) z scores from birth to 12 months of age by birthweight (A, LAZ; B, WLZ; C, WAZ) and size for gestational age (D, LAZ; E, WLZ; F, WAZ).</b> Values are means and 95% confidence intervals, n = 357. In A, B, and C, square symbols indicate low birthweight; circle symbols indicate non-low birthweight. In D, E, and F, square symbols indicate small-for-gestational age; circle symbols indicate non-small-for-gestational age. Low birthweight was defined as birthweight <2.5kg. Small-for-gestational age was defined as birthweight <10^th percentile for gestational age. *<i>P</i> <0.05, ** <i>P</i> <0.01, *** <i>P</i> <0.001 different from low birthweight or small-for-gestational age group.</p

Flow of participants.

<p>Flow of participants.</p

Univariable generalized estimating equations models predicting stunting, wasting and underweight at three time points during infancy^a.

<p>Univariable generalized estimating equations models predicting stunting, wasting and underweight at three time points during infancy<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0159461#t002fn001" target="_blank">^a</a>.</p

Basic descriptive data by birthweight and size for gestational age^a.

<p>Basic descriptive data by birthweight and size for gestational age<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0159461#t001fn001" target="_blank">^a</a>.</p