Cooperative WebLab in chemical engineering between France and Brazil: Validation of the methodology

A WebLab is an experiment operated remotely via Internet. Besides the strictly technical aspects of such an experiment, which may contribute to the learning of Chemical Engineering fundamentals, there is also important feedback when teams of students of two different countries are working together: the WebLab becomes an intercultural experience, enhancing the communication skills of the students. A WebLab between Universidade Federal de São Carlos (DEQ/UFSCar) and the Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Ingénieurs en Arts Chimiques et Technologiques (ENSIACET) is presented in this work. A mass transfer experiment in a bench scale reactor (stirred and aerated) had to be studied by mixed teams, thus emulating challenges that will be common in future working environments. In order to perform the experiment, students in Brazil and in France were put into groups. The students had to make decisions about the procedure for executing the experiments. All the students were able to control the equipment, no matter where they were physically. Students communicated using video conference software. The students' and teachers' opinions of this experience were very positive. This methodology is an important contribution to the education of engineers in a world integrated by modern communication technologies

Two-dimensional quantum-corrected black hole in a finite size cavity

We consider the gravitation-dilaton theory (not necessarily exactly solvable), whose potentials represent a generic linear combination of an exponential and linear functions of the dilaton. A black hole, arising in such theories, is supposed to be enclosed in a cavity, where it attains thermal equilibrium, whereas outside the cavity the field is in the Boulware state. We calculate quantum corrections to the Hawking temperature $T_{H}$, with the contribution from the boundary taken into account. Vacuum polarization outside the shell tend to cool the system. We find that, for the shell to be in the thermal equilibrium, it cannot be placed too close to the horizon. The quantum corrections to the mass due to vacuum polarization vanish in spite of non-zero quantum stresses. We discuss also the canonical boundary conditions and show that accounting for the finiteness of the system plays a crucial role in some theories (e.g., CGHS), where it enables to define the stable canonical ensemble, whereas consideration in an infinite space would predict instability.Comment: 21 pages. In v.2 misprints corrected. To appear in Phys. Rev.

Laser-noise-induced correlations and anti-correlations in Electromagnetically Induced Transparency

High degrees of intensity correlation between two independent lasers were observed after propagation through a rubidium vapor cell in which they generate Electromagnetically Induced Transparency (EIT). As the optical field intensities are increased, the correlation changes sign (becoming anti-correlation). The experiment was performed in a room temperature rubidium cell, using two diode lasers tuned to the $^{85}$Rb $D_2$ line ($\lambda = 780$nm). The cross-correlation spectral function for the pump and probe fields is numerically obtained by modeling the temporal dynamics of both field phases as diffusing processes. We explored the dependence of the atomic response on the atom-field Rabi frequencies, optical detuning and Doppler width. The results show that resonant phase-noise to amplitude-noise conversion is at the origin of the observed signal and the change in sign for the correlation coefficient can be explained as a consequence of the competition between EIT and Raman resonance processes.Comment: Accepted for publication in EPJ

Effects of dietary beef tallow on performance, rumen fermentation, carcass traits and meat quality of growing lambs

Growing lambs were evaluated for the effect of increasing dietary levels of beef tallow (BT) on performance, rumen fermentation, and carcass and meat characteristics. Twenty-one 5-month-old male Rambouillet lambs were assigned randomly to one of three diets with 0, 20, and 40 g BT/kg dry matter (DM) and similar energy and protein contents. Lambs were adapted to the diets for 15 days, followed by a 45-day evaluation trial. Data were analysed using a mixed model. Growth, feed intake and ruminal fermentation were not affected by the dietary level of BT. Daily metabolizable energy intake (MEI), carcass yield and degree of fatness, increased linearly as the BT level increased. Carcass classification and muscle conformation were not affected by BT. Most meat characteristics (texture, pH, myoglobin, protein content, colour, cathepsins, and chemical composition) five and eight days post-mortem were not affected, except for fat content in meat, which increased linearly as diet BT level increased. Fatty acid (FA) profiles of the meat from lambs fed the three diets were similar. In conclusion, addition of BT at 20 and 40 g/kg DM to diets for growing lambs allowed reduced grain usage and increased forage levels (from 0 to 270 g/kg DM), increasing energy intake, carcass yield and fatness, and intramuscular fat without causing harmful effects on growth, feed intake or ruminal fermentation characteristics. Keywords: dietary fat, fatty acids, meat colour, shee

Diagnosis And Treatment Of Congenital Hemophilia With Inhibitors. A Latin American Perspective

The Committee of Latin America on the Therapeutics of Inhibitor Groups (CLOTTING) is composed of a number of hemophilia specialists from Latin America. The group aims to encourage the adoption of a good standard of care for Latin American patients with hemophilia. The occurrence of inhibitors in patients with hemophilia poses clinical challenges, and it is estimated that between 1 000 and 3 000 patients in Latin America are affected by hemophilia with inhibitors. There is an urgent need to establish a regional consensus and clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of these patients. We present an extensive review based on best current clinical practice and published literature, as seen from a Latin American perspective, taking into account the variable nature of hemophilia care available in the various countries in this Region.683227242Ehrenforth, S., Kreuz, W., Scharrer, I., Incidence of development of factor VIII and factor IX inhibitors in haemophiliacs (1992) Lancet, 339, pp. 594-598Katz, J., Prevalence of factor IX inhibitors among patients with haemophilia B: Results of a large-scale North American study (1996) Haemophilia, 2, pp. 28-31Goudemand, J., Pharmaco-economic aspects of inhibitor treatment (1998) Eur J Haematol, 61, pp. 24-27World Hemophilia Federation Report on Global Survey 2006. World Federation of Hemophilia, 2007. On www.wfh.orgconsulted on 23/04/2008Rieger, A., Roisenberg, I., Prevalence of factor VIII inhibitors in patients with hemophilia A in Brazil (1999) Thromb Haemost, 81, pp. 475-476Fontes, E.M., Amorim, L., Carvalho, S.M., Farah, M.B., Hemophilia care in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2003) Rev Panam Salud Pública, 13, pp. 124-128Izquierdo-Ramírez, J., Contreras-Mulato, E.L., Sotelo-Ham, E.I., Incidence of inhibitors in children with hemophilia A (1988) Bol Med Hosp Infant Méx, 45, pp. 578-582Boadas, A., Ruiz-Sáez, A., Arguello, A., de Bosch, N., Prevalence and acute bleeding treatment of allo and auto FVIII and FIX antibodies cases in Venezuela (2004) Haemophilia, 10, p. 56Wight, J., Paisley, S., The epidemiology of inhibitors in hemophilia A: A systematic review (2003) Haemophilia, 9, pp. 418-435Delivery of treatment for hemophilia (2002) Report of a joint WHO/WFH/ISTH meeting, , World Health OrganizationHay, C.R., Brown, S., Collins, P.W., Keeling, D.M., Liesner, R., The diagnosis and management of factor VIII and IX inhibitors: A guideline from the United Kingdom Haemophilia Centre Doctors Organization (2006) Br J Haematol, 133, pp. 591-605Ewing, N.P., Kasper, C.K., In vitro detection of mild inhibitors to factor VIII in hemophilia (1982) Am J Clin Pathol, 77, pp. 749-752Verbruggen, B., Novakova, I., Wessels, H., Boezeman, J., van den Berg, M., Mauser-Bunschoten, E., The Nijmegen modification of the Bethesda assay for factor VIII:C inhibitors: Improved specificity and reliability (1995) Thromb Haemost, 73, pp. 247-251Giles, A.R., Verbruggen, B., Rivard, G.E., Teitel, J., Walker, I., A detailed comparison of the performance of the standard versus the Nijmegen modification of the Bethesda assay in detecting factor VIII:C inhibitors in the hemophilia A population of Canada. Association of Hemophilia Centre Directors of Canada. Factor VIII/IX Subcommittee of Scientific and Standardization Committee of International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (1998) Thromb Haemost, 79, pp. 872-875Verbruggen, B., van Heerde, W., Novakova, I., Lillicrap, D., Giles, A., A 4% solution of bovine serum albumin may be used in place of factor VIII:C deficient plasma in the control sample in the Nijmegen modification of the Bethesda factor VIII:C inhibitor assay (2002) Thromb Haemost, 88, pp. 362-364White II, G.C., Rosendaal, F., Aledort, L.M., Lusher, J.M., Rothschild, C., Ingerslev, J., Definitions in hemophilia. Recommendation of the scientific subcommittee on factor VIII and factor IX of the scientific and standardization committee of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (2001) Thromb Haemost, 85, p. 560Kitchen, S., McCraw, A., (2000) Diagnosis of hemophilia and other bleeding disorders, , A laboratory manual. World Federation of Hemophiliahttp://www.med.unc.edu/isth, Available at:, Accessed November 2005http://www.wfh.org, Available at:, Accessed November 2005Oldenburg, J., Brackmann, H.H., Schwaab, R., Risk factors for inhibitor development in hemophilia A (2000) Haematologica, 85, pp. 7-13Rossetti, L.C., Candela, M., Pérez Bianco, R., de Tezanos Pinto, M., Western, A., Goodeve, A., Analysis of factor VIII gene intron 1 inversion in Argentinean families with severe hemophilia A and a review of the literature (2004) Blood Coagul Fibrinolysis, 15, pp. 569-572Santos, A., Montalva, O., Thomas, S., Veiga, M., De Paula, E., Ozelo, M., Genetic and ethnic aspects related to the development of inhibitors among Brazilian patients with hemophilia from five distinct geographical regions in Brazil (2006) Haemophilia, 12, pp. 1-154Mantilla-Capacho, J.M., Beltrán-Miranda, C.P., Luna-Záizar, H., Frequency of intron 1 and 22 inversions of Factor VIII gene in Mexican patients with severe Hemophilia A (2007) Am J Hematol, 82, pp. 283-287Guidelines for the management of hemophilia. World Federation of Hemophilia, 2005Girolami, A., Luzzatto, G., Varvarikis, C., Pellati, D., Sartori, R., Girolami, B., Main clinical manifestations of a bleeding diathesis: An often disregarded aspect of medical and surgical history taking (2005) Haemophilia, 11, pp. 193-202Suggestions for the management of FVIII inhibitors (2000) Treatment of Hemophilia Monograph, , Inhibitor Subcommittee of the Association of Hemophilia Clinic Directors of Canada, revised edition, World Federation of HemophiliaKasper, C., Diagnosis and management of inhibitors to factors VIII and IX (2004) Treatment of Hemophilia Monograph, , World Federation of HemophiliaGringeri, A., Mannucci, P.M., Italian Association of Haemophilia Centres. Italian guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with hemophilia and inhibitors (2005) Haemophilia, 11, pp. 611-619Key, N.S., Aledort, L.M., Beardsley, D., Home treatment of mild to moderate bleeding episodes using recombinant factor VIIa (NovoSeven) in haemophiliacs with inhibitors (1998) Thromb Haemost, 80, pp. 912-918Ingerslev, J., Sneppen, O., Hvid, I., Fredberg, U., Kristensen, H.L., Sindet-Petersen, S., Treatment of acute bleeding episodes with rFVIIa (1999) Vox Sang, 77, pp. 42-46Santagostino, E., Gringeri, A., Mannucci, P.M., Home treatment with recombinant activated factor VII in patients with factor VIII inhibitors: The advantages of early intervention (1999) Br J Haematol, 104, pp. 22-26Negrier, C., Goudemand, J., Sultan, Y., Bertrand, M., Rothschild, C., Lauroua, P., Multicenter retrospective study on the utilization of FEIBA in France in patients with factor VIII and factor IX inhibitors. French FEIBA Study Group. Factor Eight Bypassing Activity (1997) Thromb Haemost, 77, pp. 1113-1119Astermark, J., Donfield, S.M., DiMichelle, D.M., A randomized comparison of bypassing agents in hemophilia complicated by an inhibitor - The Feiba® NovoSeven® Comparative Study (FENOC) (2007) Blood, 109, pp. 546-551Young, G., Shafer, F.E., Rojas, P., Seremetis, S., Single 270 μg kg-1 dose rFVIIa vs. standard 90 μg kg-1 dose rFVIIa and APCC for home treatment of joint bleeds in hemophilia patients with inhibitors: A randomized comparison (2008) Haemophilia, 14, pp. 287-294Ozelo, M.C., Villaça, P.R., De Almeida, J.O., A cost evaluation of treatment alternatives for mild-to-moderate bleeding episodes in patients with hemophilia and inhibitors in Brazil (2007) Haemophilia, 13, pp. 462-469Kenet, G., Lubetsky, A., Luboshitz, J., Martinowitz, U., A new approach to treatment of bleeding episodes in young hemophilia patients: A single bolus megadose of recombinant activated factor VII (NovoSeven) (2003) J Thromb Haemost, 1, pp. 450-455Parameswaran, R., Shapiro, A.D., Gill, J.C., Kessler, C.M., Dose effect and efficacy of rFVIIa in the treatment of hemophilia patients with inhibitors: Analysis from the Hemophilia and Thrombosis Research Society Registry (2005) Haemophilia, 11, pp. 100-106Kavakli, K., Makris, M., Zulfikar, B., Erhardtsen, E., Abrams, Z.S., Kenet, G., Home treatment of haemarthroses using single dose regimen of recombinant activated factor VII in patients with hemophilia and inhibitors. A multi-centre, randomized, double blind, cross-over trial (2006) Thromb Haemost, 95, pp. 600-605Santagostino, E., Mancuso, M.E., Rocino, A., Mancuso, G., Scaraggi, F., Mannucci, P.M., A prospective randomized trial of high and standard dosages of recombinant factor VIIa for treatment of haemarthroses in hemophiliacs with inhibitors (2006) J Thromb Haemost, 4, pp. 367-371Schneiderman, J., Nugent, D.J., Young, G., Sequential therapy with activated prothrombin complex concentrate and recombinant factor VIIa in patients with severe hemophilia and inhibitors (2004) Haemophilia, 10, pp. 347-351Lusher, J.M., Shapiro, S.S., Palascak, J.E., Rao, A.V., Levine, P.H., Blatt, P.M., Efficacy of prothrombin-complex concentrates in hemophiliacs with antibodies to factor VIII: A multicenter therapeutic trial (1980) NEJM, 303, pp. 421-425Teitel, J., Berntorp, E., Collins, P., A systematic approach to controlling problem bleeds in patients with severe congenital hemophilia A and high-titre inhibitors (2007) Haemophilia, 13, pp. 256-263Lloyd Jones, M., Wight, J., Paisley, S., Knight, C., Control of bleeding in patients with hemophilia A with inhibitors: A systematic review (2003) Haemophilia, 9, pp. 464-520Ewenstein, B.M., Takemoto, C., Warrier, I., Nephrotic syndrome as a complication of immune tolerance in hemophilia B (1997) Blood, 89, pp. 1115-1116Warrier, I., Lenk, H., Saidi, P., Pollmann, H., Tengborn, L., Berntorp, E., Nephrotic syndrome in hemophilia B patients with inhibitors (1998) Haemophilia, 4, p. 248Warrier, I., Management of hemophilia B patients with inhibitors and anaphylaxis (1998) Haemophilia, 4, pp. 574-576Strawczynski, H., Stachewitsch, A., Morgenstern, G., Shaw, M.E., Delivery of care to hemophilic children: Home care versus hospitalization (1973) Pediatrics, 51, pp. 986-991Rabiner, S.F., Telfer, M.C., Fajardo, R., Home transfusions of hemophiliacs (1972) JAMA, 221, pp. 885-887Levine, P., The home therapy program at the New England area hemophilia center (1977) Scand J Haematol, 31, pp. 37-51Soucie, J.M., Symons, J.I., Evatt, B., Brettler, D., Huszti, H., Linden, J., Home-based factor infusion therapy and hospitalization for bleeding complications among males with hemophilia (2001) Haemophilia, 7, pp. 198-206Solovieva, S., Clinical severity of disease, functional disability and health-related quality of life. Three-year follow-up study of 150 Finnish patients with coagulation disorders (2001) Haemophilia, 7, pp. 53-63Teitel, J.M., Barnard, D., Israels, S., Lillicrap, D., Poon, M.C., Sek, J., Home management of hemophilia (2004) Haemophilia, 10, pp. 118-133Ingerslev, J., Thykjær, H., Scheibel, E., Approaches towards successful home treatment in patients with inhibitors (1998) Eur J Haematol, 61, pp. 11-14Young, G., McDaniel, M., Nugent, D.J., Prophylactic recombinant factor VIIa in hemophilia patients with inhibitors (2005) Haemophilia, 11, pp. 203-207Saxon, B.R., Shanks, D., Jory, C.B., Williams, V., Effective prophylaxis with daily recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa-Novoseven) in a child with high titre inhibitors and a target joint (2001) Thromb Haemost, 86, pp. 1126-1127Konkle, B.A., Ebbesen, L.S., Erhardtsen, E., Randomized, prospective clinical trial of recombinant factor VIIa for secondary prophylaxis in hemophilia patients with inhibitors (2007) J Thromb Haemost, 5, pp. 1904-1913Hoots, W.K., Ebbesen, L.S., Konkle, B.A., Secondary prophylaxis with recombinant activated factor VII improves health-related quality of life of hemophilia patients with inhibitors (2008) Haemophilia, 14, pp. 466-475Leissinger, C.A., Prevention of bleeds in hemophilia patients with inhibitors: Emerging data and clinical direction (2004) Am J Hematol, 77, pp. 187-193Luu, H., Ewenstein, B., FEIBA safety profile in multiple modes of clinical and home-therapy application (2004) Haemophilia, 10, pp. 10-16Leissinger, C.A., Becton, D.L., Ewing, N.P., Valentino, L.A., Prophylactic treatment with activated prothrombin complex concentrate (FEIBA) reduces the frequency of bleeding episodes in paediatric patients with hemophilia A and inhibitors (2007) Haemophilia, 13, pp. 249-255Villar, A., Aronis, S., Morfini, M., Pharmacokinetics of activated recombinant coagulation factor VII (NovoSeven®) in children vs. adults with hemophilia A (2004) Haemophilia, 10, pp. 352-359Klitgaard, T., Nielsen, T.G., Overview of the human pharmacokinetics of recombinant activated factor VII (2008) Br J Clin Pharmacol, 65, pp. 3-11Rodriguez-Merchan, E.C., Rocino, A., Ewenstein, B., Consensus perspectives on surgery in hemophilia patients with inhibitors: Summary statement (2004) Haemophilia, 10, pp. 50-52Hilgartner, M.W., Factor replacement therapy (1989) Hemophilia in the Child and Adults, pp. 1-26. , Hilgartner MW, Pochedly C eds, New York, Raven Press Ltd(2000) Oxford Textbook of Surgery, , Morris PJ, Wood WG eds, 2nd edition. Oxford, Oxford University PressRickard, K.A., Guidelines for therapy and optimal dosages of coagulation factors for treatment of bleeding and surgery in hemophilia (1995) Haemophilia, 1, pp. 8-13Shapiro, A., Gilchrist, G.S., Hoots, W.K., Cooper, H.A., Gastineau, D.A., Prospective, randomised trial of two doses of rFVIIa (NovoSeven) in hemophilia patients with inhibitors undergoing surgery (1998) Thromb Haemost, 80, pp. 773-778Hvid, I., Rodriguez-Merchan, E.C., Orthopaedic surgery in haemophilic patients with inhibitors: An overview (2002) Haemophilia, 8, pp. 288-291Rodriguez-Merchan, E.C., Rocino, A., Literature review of surgery management in inhibitor patients (2004) Haemophilia, 10, pp. 22-29Abshire, T., Kenet, G., Recombinant factor VIIa: Review of efficacy, dosing regimens and safety in patients with congenital and acquired factor VIII or IX inhibitors (2004) J Thromb Haemost, 2, pp. 899-909Ingerslev, J., Efficacy and safety of Recombinant Factor VIIa in the prophylaxis of bleeding in various surgical procedures in hemophilic patients with factor VIII and factor IX inhibitors (2000) Semin Thromb Hemost, 26, pp. 425-432Tjønnfjord, G.E., Brinch, L., Gedde-Dahl III, T., Brosstad, F.R., Activated prothrombin complex concentrate (FEIBA) treatment during surgery in patients with inhibitors to FVIII/IX (2004) Haemophilia, 10, pp. 174-178Ingerslev, J., Sorensen, B., Role of recombinant activated factor VII as hemostatic support in orthopedic surgery (2006) TATM, 8, pp. 35-42Obergfell, A., Auvinen, M.K., Mathew, P., Recombinant activated factor VII for haemophilia patients with inhibitors undergoing orthopaedic surgery: A review of the literature (2008) Haemophilia, 14, pp. 233-241Ewenstein, B.M., Valentino, L.A., Journeycake, J.M., Consensus recommendations for use of central venous access devices in hemophilia (2004) Haemophilia, 10, pp. 629-648Morado, M., Jimenez-Yuste, V., Villar, A., Complications of central venous catheters in patients with hemophilia and inhibitors (2001) Haemophilia, 7, pp. 551-556Bollard, C.M., Teague, L.R., Berry, E.W., Ockelford, P.A., The use of central venous catheters (portacaths) in children with hemophilia (2000) Haemophilia, 6, pp. 66-70O'Connell, N., Mc Mahon, C., Smith, J., Recombinant factor VIIa in the management of surgery and acute bleeding episodes in children with hemophilia and high responding inhibitors (2002) Br J Haematol, 116, pp. 632-635Cooper, H.A., Jones, C.P., Campion, E., Roberts, H.R., Hedner, U., Rationale for the use of high dose rFVIIa in a high-titre inhibitor patient with hemophilia B during major orthopaedic procedures (2001) Haemophilia, 7, pp. 517-522Colowick, A.B., Bohn, R.L., Avorn, J., Ewenstein, B.M., Immune tolerance induction in hemophilia patients with inhibitors: Costly can be cheaper (2000) Blood, 96, pp. 1698-1702Brackmann, H.H., Gormsen, J., Massive factor-VIII infusion in haemophiliac with factor-VIII inhibitor, high responder (1977) Lancet, 2, p. 933Key, N.S., Inhibitors in congenital coagulation disorders (2004) Br J Haematol, 127, pp. 379-391Nilsson, I.M., Berntorp, E., Zettervall, O., Induction of immune tolerance in patients with hemophilia and antibodies to factor VIII by combined treatment with intravenous IgG, cyclophosphamide, and factor VIII (1988) NEJM, 318, pp. 947-950Mathias, M., Khair, K., Hann, I., Liesner, R., Rituximab in the treatment of alloimmune factor VIII and IX antibodies in two children with severe hemophilia (2004) Br J Haematol, 125, pp. 366-368Stasi, R., Brunetti, M., Stipa, E., Amadori, S., Selective B-cell depletion with rituximab for the treatment of patients with acquired hemophilia (2004) Blood, 103, pp. 4424-4428Carcao, M., Ungar, W.J., Feldman, B.M., Cost-utility analysis in evaluating prophylaxis in hemophilia (2004) Haemophilia, 10, pp. 50-57Curtin, J., Misra, A., Teo, J., Webster, B., Lammi, A., Use of Rituximab as an alternative strategy for the management of difficult high titre inhibitors in children with hemophilia A (2004) Haemophilia, 10, p. 57DiMichele, D., Immune tolerance therapy dose as an outcome predictor (2003) Haemophilia, 9, pp. 382-386Mariani, G., Kroner, B., Immune tolerance in hemophilia with factor VIII inhibitors: Predictors of success (2001) Haematologica, 86, pp. 1186-1193DiMichele, D., Inhibitors: Resolving diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmas (2002) Haemophilia, 8, pp. 280-287Lenk, H., The German Registry of immune tolerance treatment in hemophilia-1999 update (2000) Haematologica, 85, pp. 45-47Haya, S., Lopez, M.F., Aznar, J.A., Batlle, J., Immune tolerance treatment in hemophilia patients with inhibitors: The Spanish Registry (2001) Haemophilia, 7, pp. 154-159DiMichele, D.M., Hoots, W.K., Pipe, S.W., Rivard, G.E., Santagostino, E., International workshop on immune tolerance induction: Consensus recomendations (2007) Haemophilia, 13, pp. 1-22Kreuz, W., Mentzer, D., Auerswald, G., Becker, S., Joseph-Steiner, J., Successful immune tolerance therapy of FVIII inhibitor in children after changing from high to intermediate purity FVIII concentrate (1996) Haemophilia, 2, p. 19Rocino, A., Papa, M.L., Salerno, E., Capasso, F., Miraglia, E., de Biasi, R., Immune tolerance induction in hemophilia A patients with high-responding inhibitors to factor VIII: Experience at a single institution (2001) Haemophilia, 7, pp. 33-38DiMichele, D., Rivard, G., Hay, C., Antunes, S., Inhibitors in hemophilia: Clinical aspects (2004) Haemophilia, 10, pp. 140-145Mauser-Bunschoten, E.P., Nieuwenhuis, H.K., Roosendaal, G., van den Berg, H.M., Low-dose immune tolerance induction in hemophilia A patients with inhibitors (1995) Blood, 86, pp. 983-988Almeida, J., Paula, J.C., Toscano, R., Immune tolerance such as salvage therapy in severe hemophilia A patient with ultra high-responders inhibitors (2002) Haemophilia, 8, p. 538Solano, M.H., Ramírez, C., Parra, L., Tratamiento de inhibidores del factor VIII en hemofilia. (1998) Acta Med Colomb, 23, p. 193Carneiro, J.D.A., Bassit, R.P., Villaça, P.R., Sandoval, E.P.N., Silva, C.S.S.S., D'amico, E.A., Low-dose immune tolerance induction in hemophilia A children with inhibitors (2002) Haemophilia, 8, pp. 538-539Wight, J., Paisley, S., Knight, C., Immune tolerance induction in patients with hemophilia A with inhibitors: A systematic review (2003) Haemophilia, 9, pp. 436-463Tengborg, L., Hansson, S., Fasth, A., Lübeck, P.O., Berg, A., Ljung, R., Anaphylactoid reactions and nephrotic syndrome - a considerable risk during factor IX treatment in patients with hemophilia B and inhibitors: A report on the outcome in two brothers (1998) Haemophilia, 4, pp. 854-859Schulman, S., Safety, efficacy and lessons from continuous infusion with rFVIIa (1998) Haemophilia, 4, pp. 564-567Schulman, S., Continuous infusion of recombinant factor VIIa in hemophilic patients with inhibitors: Safety, monitoring, and cost effectiveness (2000) Semin Thromb Hemost, 26, pp. 421-424Pruthi, R.K., Mathew, P., Valentino, L.A., Sumner, M.J., Seremetis, S., Hoots, W.K., Haemostatic efficacy and safety of bolus and continuous infusion of recombinant factor VIIa are comparable in hemophilia patients with inhibitors undergoing major surgery. Results from an open-label, randomized, multicenter trial (2007) Thromb Haemost, 98, pp. 726-732Smith, M.P., Ludlam, C.A., Collins, P.W., Elective surgery on factor VIII inhibitor patients using continuous infusion of recombinant activated factor VII: Plasma factor VII activity of 10 IU/ml is associated with an increased incidence of bleeding (2001) Thromb Haemost, 86, pp. 949-953Santagostino, E., Morfini, M., Rocino, A., Baudo, F., Scaraggi, F.A., Gringeri, A., Relationship between factor VII activity and clinical efficacy of recombinant factor VIIa given by continuous infusion to patients with factor VIII inhibitors (2001) Thromb Haemost, 86, pp. 954-958Mauser-Bunschoten, E.P., Koopman, M.M., Goede-Bolder, A.D., Efficacy of recombinant factor VIIa administered by continuous infusion to hemophilia patients with inhibitors (2002) Haemophilia, 8, pp. 649-656Ludlam, C.A., Smith, M.P., Morfini, M., Gringeri, A., Santagostino, E., Savidge, G.F., A prospective study of recombinant activated factor VII administered by continuous infusion to inhibitor patients undergoing elective major orthopaedic surgery: A pharmacokinetic and efficacy evaluation (2003) Br J Haematol, 120, pp. 808-813Escobar, M.A., Recombinant Factor VIIa: The possibilities for monitoring (2003) TATM, 5, pp. 51-54Young, G., Ebbesen, L.S., Viuff, D., Evaluation of thromboelastography for monitoring recombinant activated factor VII ex

CFRP flexural and shear strengthening technique for RC beams : experimental and numerical research

Near surface mounted (NSM) technique has proved to be a very effective technique for the flexural strengthening of RC beams. Due to the relatively small thickness of the concrete cover that several beams present, cutting the bottom arm of steel stirrups for the installation of NSM laminates might be a possible strategy, whose implications on the beam’s load carrying capacity need to be assessed. When steel stirrups are cut, however, the shear resistance can be a concern. This also happens when a strengthening intervention is carried out to increase the flexural resistance of a beam, since in certain cases it is also necessary to increase the shear resistance in order to avoid the occurrence of brittle shear failure. The present work assesses the effectiveness of a technique that aims to increase both the flexural and shear resistance of RC beams that have the bottom arm of the steel stirrups cut for the application of NSM laminates. This assessment is performed by experimental and numerical research. The main results of the experimental program are presented and analyzed, and the innovative aspects of a constitutive model implemented in a computer program are described, being their virtues and deficiencies discussed.The study reported in this paper forms a part of the research program "CUTINEMO - Carbon fiber laminates applied according to the near surface mounted technique to increase the flexural resistance to negative moments of continuous reinforced concrete structures" supported by FCT, PTDC/ECM/73099/2006. The authors wish to acknowledge the support also provided by the S&P, Casais and Artecanter Companies. The second Author acknowledges the grant under the aforementioned research project. The third author acknowledges the financial support of FCT, PhD Grant number SFRH/BD/23326/2005

Implementación de un programa piloto de servicios farmacéuticos en una población rural de Veracruz (México) con alta prevalencia de enfermedades crónico-degenerativas

Objetivo: Implementar un programa piloto de servicios farmacéuticos de carácter comunitario en una población rural de la zona centro de Veracruz (México) con una alta prevalencia de enfermedades crónico-degenerativas. Material y métodos: Consistió en dos fases: 1) identificación y caracterización de la población, y 2) implementación del programa piloto de los servicios farmacéuticos. El análisis estadístico se realizó con paquete estadístico STATA (versión 9.0). Resultados: Se le ofreció el servicio a una población de 904 personas, de las que 897 participaron; de estas últimas, 436 presentaron valores alterados de las patologías incluidas en el estudio. Para evaluar el efecto de la intervención farmacéutica sobre la efectividad de los tratamientos farmacológicos, se observó que en el grupo con hipertrigliceridemia, hipercolesterolemia y diabetes mellitus tipo 2 se produjo una disminución estadísticamente significativa de las concentraciones séricas de triglicéridos, colesterol y glucosa (p <0,001), respectivamente. De igual manera, se observó una reducción de la presión arterial diastólica y sistólica (p <0,001) después de la intervención. La evaluación clínica de los pacientes al final del tratamiento que incluyó servicios farmacéuticos fue en sentido favorable, ya que el 82,56% de la población de estudio refirió valores controlados dentro de las patologías de estudio y valores estadísticamente significativos (p <0,001). Los resultados negativos asociados a la medicación identificados fueron del tipo inefectividad cuantitativa, y se detectaron 14 reacciones adversas a medicamentos tipo A. Conclusiones: La atención farmacéutica es una estrategia idónea para actuar en el complejo proceso de generación y protección de la salud en comunidades vulnerables, como son las rurales con poblaciones con enfermedades crónico-degenerativas

Implementación de un programa piloto de servicios farmacéuticos en una población rural de Veracruz (México) con alta prevalencia de enfermedades crónico-degenerativas

Objetivo: Implementar un programa piloto de servicios farmacéuticos de carácter comunitario en una población rural de la zona centro de Veracruz (México) con una alta prevalencia de enfermedades crónico-degenerativas. Material y métodos: Consistió en dos fases: 1) identificación y caracterización de la población, y 2) implementación del programa piloto de los servicios farmacéuticos. El análisis estadístico se realizó con paquete estadístico STATA (versión 9.0). Resultados: Se le ofreció el servicio a una población de 904 personas, de las que 897 participaron; de estas últimas, 436 presentaron valores alterados de las patologías incluidas en el estudio. Para evaluar el efecto de la intervención farmacéutica sobre la efectividad de los tratamientos farmacológicos, se observó que en el grupo con hipertrigliceridemia, hipercolesterolemia y diabetes mellitus tipo 2 se produjo una disminución estadísticamente significativa de las concentraciones séricas de triglicéridos, colesterol y glucosa (p <0,001), respectivamente. De igual manera, se observó una reducción de la presión arterial diastólica y sistólica (p <0,001) después de la intervención. La evaluación clínica de los pacientes al final del tratamiento que incluyó servicios farmacéuticos fue en sentido favorable, ya que el 82,56% de la población de estudio refirió valores controlados dentro de las patologías de estudio y valores estadísticamente significativos (p <0,001). Los resultados negativos asociados a la medicación identificados fueron del tipo inefectividad cuantitativa, y se detectaron 14 reacciones adversas a medicamentos tipo A. Conclusiones: La atención farmacéutica es una estrategia idónea para actuar en el complejo proceso de generación y protección de la salud en comunidades vulnerables, como son las rurales con poblaciones con enfermedades crónico-degenerativas

Making nonlinear manifold learning models interpretable: The manifold grand tour

Dimensionality reduction is required to produce visualisations of high dimensional data. In this framework, one of the most straightforward approaches to visualising high dimensional data is based on reducing complexity and applying linear projections while tumbling the projection axes in a defined sequence which generates a Grand Tour of the data. We propose using smooth nonlinear topographic maps of the data distribution to guide the Grand Tour, increasing the effectiveness of this approach by prioritising the linear views of the data that are most consistent with global data structure in these maps. A further consequence of this approach is to enable direct visualisation of the topographic map onto projective spaces that discern structure in the data. The experimental results on standard databases reported in this paper, using self-organising maps and generative topographic mapping, illustrate the practical value of the proposed approach. The main novelty of our proposal is the definition of a systematic way to guide the search of data views in the grand tour, selecting and prioritizing some of them, based on nonlinear manifold models