The Complexity of Helly-B1B_{1} EPG Graph Recognition

Golumbic, Lipshteyn, and Stern defined in 2009 the class of EPG graphs, the intersection graph class of edge paths on a grid. An EPG graph $G$ is a graph that admits a representation where its vertices correspond to paths in a grid $Q$, such that two vertices of $G$ are adjacent if and only if their corresponding paths in $Q$ have a common edge. If the paths in the representation have at most $k$ bends, we say that it is a $B_k$-EPG representation. A collection $C$ of sets satisfies the Helly property when every sub-collection of $C$ that is pairwise intersecting has at least one common element. In this paper, we show that given a graph $G$ and an integer $k$, the problem of determining whether $G$ admits a $B_k$-EPG representation whose edge-intersections of paths satisfy the Helly property, so-called Helly-$B_k$-EPG representation, is in NP, for every $k$ bounded by a polynomial function of $|V(G)|$. Moreover, we show that the problem of recognizing Helly-$B_1$-EPG graphs is NP-complete, and it remains NP-complete even when restricted to 2-apex and 3-degenerate graphs

The Brazilian bovine traceability system: a critical appraisal.

This paper examines the creation of the Sisbov, launched to certify provenance, nutritional as well as sanitary aspects of Brazilian cattle production. Economic, social and political consequences, particularly in respect to the initial compulsory character of the regulations, are considered. The government will have greater control and more information, not only about the cattle herd, but also about the ranchers themselves. After a brief historical review of similar programs in France, with links to the "Mad Cow" Disease, the origins and initial objectives of Sisbov are examined. A connection is made with the development of Information Systems and the development of subcutaneous chips used to identify their bearers

The metabolic vascular syndrome - guide to an individualized treatment

In ancient Greek medicine the concept of a distinct syndrome (going together) was used to label 'a group of signs and symptoms' that occur together and 'characterize a particular abnormality and condition'. The (dys)metabolic syndrome is a common cluster of five pre-morbid metabolic-vascular risk factors or diseases associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity, fatty liver disease and risk of cancer. The risk for major complications such as cardiovascular diseases, NASH and some cancers develops along a continuum of risk factors into clinical diseases. Therefore we still include hyperglycemia, visceral obesity, dyslipidemia and hypertension as diagnostic traits in the definition according to the term 'deadly quartet'. From the beginning elevated blood pressure and hyperglycemia were core traits of the metabolic syndrome associated with endothelial dysfunction and increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Thus metabolic and vascular abnormalities are in extricable linked. Therefore it seems reasonable to extend the term to metabolic-vascular syndrome (MVS) to signal the clinical relevance and related risk of multimorbidity. This has important implications for integrated diagnostics and therapeutic approach. According to the definition of a syndrome the rapid global rise in the prevalence of all traits and comorbidities of the MVS is mainly caused by rapid changes in life-style and sociocultural transition resp. with over- and malnutrition, low physical activity and social stress as a common soil

Long-term stability of language performance in very preterm, moderate-late preterm, and term children

Objective To investigate whether children born very preterm, moderate-late preterm, and term differ in their average level and individual-difference stability in language performance over time. Study design Language was assessed at 5 and 20 months and 4, 6, and 8 years of age in 204 very preterm (<32 weeks' gestation), 276 moderate-late preterm (32-36 weeks' gestation), and 268 term (37-41 weeks' gestation) children from the Bavarian Longitudinal Study. Results Very preterm children consistently performed worse than term-born children, and moderate-late preterm children scored in between. Language performance was stable from 5 months through 8 years in all gestation groups combined, and stability increased between each succeeding wave. Stability was stronger between 5 months and 4 years in very preterm than moderate-late preterm and term groups, but this differential stability attenuated when covariates (child nonverbal intelligence and family socioeconomic status) were controlled. Conclusions Preterm children, even moderate-late preterm, are at risk for poorer language performance than term-born children. Because individual differences in language performance are increasingly stable from 20 months to 8 years in all gestation groups, pediatricians who attend to preterm children and observe language delays should refer them to language intervention at the earliest age seen