A Model of Animal Spirits via Sentiment Spreading

In order to incorporate animal spirits in a scientifically rigorous inquiry about the causes of aggregate business cycles, one needs to explore the foundations of human behavior, namely concerning the process through which sentiment switching occurs. Which factors drive human sentiments? In what conditions a pessimistic individual becomes an optimist, or the other way around? Is it possible to justify persistent waves of optimism and pessimism under reasonable assumptions concerning social behavior? This article proposes a framework to address the posed questions. The setup is based on rumor propagation theory and it explains how social interaction may lead individuals to change from one sentiment state to the other, eventually triggering a rotation between periods of dominant optimism and periods of dominant pessimism.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Multicenter study about severity scales of neurogenic oropharyngeal dysphagia

OBJETIVO: Analisar a concordância entre distintas escalas para grau de comprometimento em disfagia orofaríngea neurogênica. MÉTODOS: Foi realizado estudo clínico transversal. Participaram 200 indivíduos com disfagia orofaríngea neurogênica, 108 do gênero masculino e 92 do gênero feminino, com idades de 3 meses a 91 anos. Foram aplicadas quatro escalas para classificar o grau de comprometimento da disfagia orofaríngea, sendo duas escalas clínicas e duas videofluoroscópicas. Análises estatísticas foram realizadas para verificar a concordância entre as escalas clínicas e objetivas. RESULTADOS: Os resultados mostraram concordância muito boa entre as escalas clínicas estudadas (Kappa=0,92) e concordância moderada entre as escalas objetivas (Kappa=0,52). CONCLUSÃO: Embora a concordância entre as escalas clínicas tenha sido muito boa e entre as escalas objetivas tenha sido moderada, ainda é necessária ampla discussão e possível revisão dos parâmetros que definem o grau de comprometimento da disfagia orofaríngea em pacientes neurológicos

Serological response and breakthrough infection after COVID-19 vaccination in patients with cirrhosis and post-liver transplant

BACKGROUND: Vaccine hesitancy and lack of access remain major issues in disseminating COVID-19 vaccination to liver patients globally. Factors predicting poor response to vaccination and risk of breakthrough infection are important data to target booster vaccine programs. The primary aim of the current study was to measure humoral responses to 2 doses of COVID-19 vaccine. Secondary aims included the determination of factors predicting breakthrough infection. METHODS: COVID-19 vaccination and Biomarkers in cirrhosis And post-Liver Transplantation is a prospective, multicenter, observational case-control study. Participants were recruited at 4-10 weeks following first and second vaccine doses in cirrhosis [n = 325; 94% messenger RNA (mRNA) and 6% viral vaccine], autoimmune liver disease (AILD) (n = 120; 77% mRNA and 23% viral vaccine), post-liver transplant (LT) (n = 146; 96% mRNA and 3% viral vaccine), and healthy controls (n = 51; 72% mRNA, 24% viral and 4% heterologous combination). Serological end points were measured, and data regarding breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection were collected. RESULTS: After adjusting by age, sex, and time of sample collection, anti-Spike IgG levels were the lowest in post-LT patients compared to cirrhosis (p < 0.0001), AILD (p < 0.0001), and control (p = 0.002). Factors predicting reduced responses included older age, Child-Turcotte-Pugh B/C, and elevated IL-6 in cirrhosis; non-mRNA vaccine in AILD; and coronary artery disease, use of mycophenolate and dysregulated B-call activating factor, and lymphotoxin-α levels in LT. Incident infection occurred in 6.6%, 10.6%, 7.4%, and 15.6% of cirrhosis, AILD, post-LT, and control, respectively. The only independent factor predicting infection in cirrhosis was low albumin level. CONCLUSIONS: LT patients present the lowest response to the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. In cirrhosis, the reduced response is associated with older age, stage of liver disease and systemic inflammation, and breakthrough infection with low albumin level

A influência dos estímulos azedo e frio sobre o tempo da trânsito faríngeo da deglutição no acidente vascular encefálico isquêmico

Na literatura discute-se a influência dos estímulos, sabor e temperatura, sobre a biomecânica da deglutição, tanto em indivíduos saudáveis como em indivíduos após comprometimentos neurológicos. Entretanto, existem algumas questões que merecem ser esclarecidas, assim como a ordem da oferta dos estímulos e se as mesmas influenciam a resposta faríngea de forma diferente. O presente estudo teve como objetivo geral verificar a influência da oferta dos estímulos, sabor azedo e temperatura fria, sobre o tempo de trânsito faríngeo (TTF) da deglutição em indivíduos pós-AVE. E objetivos específicos foram, correlacionar a influência da oferta dos estímulos, sobre o (TTF) da deglutição, com o lado da lesão cortical e com o grau da disfagia orofaríngea. Participaram desta pesquisa 60 indivíduos após acidente vascular encefálico isquêmico (AVEi), unilateral, 29 eram do gênero masculino e 31 do gênero feminino, com idades entre 41 e 88 anos (com média de 66,2 anos), o ictus variou de 0 a 50 dias (com mediana de 6 dias) e a disfagia orofaríngea de grau leve a moderado. Esses 60 indivíduos foram divididos em dois grupos (G1 e G2) com 30 indivíduos cada (15 indivíduos com lesão cortical a direita e 15 a esquerda). O grupo 1 (G1) recebeu a oferta dos estímulos de maneira não aleatória e o grupo 2 (G2) recebeu a ordem da oferta dos estímulos de maneira aleatória. Para analisar o tempo de trânsito faríngeo (TTF) da deglutição foi realizado o exame de videofluoroscopia da deglutição. Foram oferecidos quatro estímulos diferentes, os indivíduos do G1 receberam na ordem não aleatória (natural, gelado, azedo e azedo gelado) e os indivíduos do G2 de maneira aleatória. Posteriormente as imagens foram digitalizadas e foi realizada através de software a medição do TTF. Os indivíduos do G1 apresentaram TTF menor com estímulo azedo gelado e com diferença...The influence of stimuli, taste and temperature, on the swallowing biomechanics has been investigated in the scientific community, in both health individuals and in after neurological disease individuals. However, there are some questions that could be better explained, as well as, the sequence of offered stimuli and if they influence the pharyngeal response in different way. The present study had as general proposes to verify the influence of the sequence of stimuli, sour taste and cold temperature, on deglutition pharyngeal transit time in individuals after stroke. And specific objectives, were correlate the influence of stimuli sequence, on swallowing pharyngeal transit time, with the cortical lesion side and with the oropharyngeal dysphagia degree. Participated this research 60 individuals after isquemic stroke, unilateral, 29 males and 31 females, aged from 41 to 88 years (mean age of 66,2 years), ictus from 0 to 50 days (median of 6 days) and oropharyngeal dysphagia from mild to moderate. These 60 individuals were divided in two groups (G1 and G2) with 30 individuals each (15 individuals with right cortical lesion and 15 left). The Group 1 (G1) received nonrandomized sequences of stimuli and Group 2 (G2) received randomized sequence of stimuli. To analyze the deglutition pharyngeal transit time it was realized the videofluoroscopic deglutition exam. It was offered four different stimuli, the G1 received nonrandomized sequences of stimuli (natural, cold, sour and sour cold) and the G2 randomized sequence. Afterward the images were digitalized and specific software was used to measure the pharyngeal transit time. The G1 individuals presented shorter pharyngeal transit time with sour cold stimulus and with statistical difference than other stimuli. The G2 individuals do not presented statistical difference in pharyngeal transit time among stimuli. There was statistical... (Complete abstract click electronic access below

O efeito do sabor azedo e da temperatura fria no tempo de trânsito faríngeo da deglutição em indivíduos após acidente vascular encefálico hemisférico isquêmico

A influência do sabor e da temperatura sobre a deglutição normal e patológica tem sido bastante estudada nas últimas décadas. No entanto, persistem questões a serem solucionadas, incluindo a lateralização hemisférica das lesões. O papel do sabor com e sem a mudança de temperatura em indivíduos disfágicos ainda não é totalmente esclarecido. Este estudo tem por objetivo verificar o efeito do sabor azedo e da temperatura fria no tempo de trânsito faríngeo da deglutição em indivíduos após acidente vascular encefálico (AVE) hemisférico isquêmico. Participaram deste estudo 30 indivíduos adultos, 15 com lesão à direita e 15 com lesão à esquerda, sendo que 16 eram do gênero masculino e 14 do gênero feminino, destros, com faixa etária variando de 41 a 88 anos (média de 62,3 anos) com ictus que variou de 1 a 30 dias (mediana de 6 dias). Para analisar o tempo de trânsito faríngeo da deglutição foi realizado o exame de videofluoroscopia da deglutição. Cada indivíduo foi observado durante a deglutição de bolo na consistência pastosa, oferecido em colher, com 5 ml cada, sendo ao todo 4 estímulos diferentes, um por vez, na seguinte ordem: natural, gelado, azedo e azedo gelado. Posteriormente as imagens foram digitalizadas e foi realizada através de software a medição do tempo de deslocamento do bolo pela fase faríngea. Os resultados mostraram que o tempo de trânsito faríngeo da deglutição foi significativamente menor ao deglutir o bolo com estímulo azedo gelado quando comparado aos outros estímulos. Concluindo-se, portanto, que os estímulos sabor azedo e temperatura fria concomitantes provocam mudanças na dinâmica da deglutição e podem proporcionar efeitos positivos em indivíduos com disfagia orofaríngea.Over the past decade there were many studies over normal and pathological swallowing that discuss the influence of taste and temperature. Nevertheless there were many questions on the issue that remains to be solved, including the hemispheric lateralization of lesions dysphagic patients remains also to be fully understood. The objective is to establish the effect of sour taste and cold temperature on the pharyngeal swallowing transit time after ischemic hemisphere stroke. It was analyzed 30 patients, 15 subjects have right lesion and 15 at the left side, 16 male and 14 females with age range between 41 and 88 years old. The data were recorded one to 30 days after the ictus (median 6). Videofluoroscopy with specific software developed to measure the time of oral and pharyngeal transit was applied in patients each of them receiving 5 ml of paste bolus, including natural, cold, sour and cold sour, in this order. The results show that the time of pharyngeal transit bolus was significantly lower with sour taste compared with other kind of stimulus. The author concluded that sour taste with concomitant cold temperature shows influence over swallowing dynamics and may have benefic effects to patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP

Species delimitation in the continental forms of the genus Epicrates (Serpentes, Boidae) integrating phylogenetics and environmental niche models.

Until recently, the genus Epicrates (Boidae) presented only one continental species, Epicrates cenchria, distributed in Central and South America, but after a taxonomic revision using morphologic characters five species were recognized: E. cenchria, E. crassus, E. maurus, E. assisi, and E. alvarezi. We analyzed two independent data sets, environmental niche models and phylogeny based on molecular information, to explore species delimitation in the continental species of this genus. Our results indicated that the environmental requirements of the species are different; therefore there are not evidences of ecological interchangeability among them. There is a clear correlation between species distributions and the major biogeographic regions of Central and South America. Their overall distribution reveals that allopatry or parapatry is the general pattern. These evidences suggest that habitat isolation prevents or limits gene exchange among them. The phylogenetic reconstruction showed that the continental Epicrates are monophyletic, being E. alvarezi the sister species for the remaining two clades: E. crassus-E. assisi, and E. maurus-E. cenchria. The clade grouping the continental Epicrates is the sister taxon of the genus Eunectes and not of the Caribbean Epicrates clade, indicating that the genus is paraphyletic. There is a non-consistent pattern in niche evolution among continental Epicrates. On the contrary, a high variation and abrupt shifts in environmental variables are shown when ancestral character states were reconstructed on the sequence-based tree. The degree of genetic and ecological divergence among continental Epicrates and the phylogenetic analyses support the elevation to full species of E. cenchria, E. crassus, E. maurus, E. assisi, and E. alvarezi

Correlation Between Laryngeal Sensitivity and Penetration/Aspiration After Stroke

Stroke is the most common neurological disease in adults that is associated with deglutition disorders. The presence of laryngeal sensitivity is very important in developing safe swallowing without risk of pulmonary complications. The aim of this study was to correlate laryngeal sensitivity with laryngeal penetration and tracheal aspiration after swallows of three food consistencies (puree, thickened liquid, and liquid) in poststroke individuals in the late phase. A cross-sectional clinical study was performed with 91 post-ischemic stroke individuals, with oropharyngeal dysphagia, who were in rehabilitation center treatment from 2009 to 2011. They had a mean age of 68.1 years and average time since injury was 22.6 months; 39 had injury to the right hemisphere and 52 had injury to the left hemisphere. All underwent fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing and evaluation of laryngeal sensitivity by touching the tip of the endoscope to the arytenoids and aryepiglottic folds. The linear correlation coefficient of Spearman was applied to evaluate the correlation between laryngeal penetration and tracheal aspiration and the presence/absence of laryngeal sensitivity. There was a negative correlation between the observation of penetration and tracheal aspiration and laryngeal sensitivity, with all bolus consistencies (p < 0.001 for aspiration and p a parts per thousand currency sign 0.01 for penetration). The absence of laryngeal sensitivity determines the more frequent findings of penetration and tracheal aspiration. This sensory stimulus in the mucosa of the pharynx and larynx is an essential element for safe swallowing and its deficiency associated with altered motor activity can cause laryngeal penetration and aspiration in poststroke individuals regardless of food consistency