Predictors of walking capacity in peripheral arterial disease patients

OBJECTIVE: To estimate walking capacity in intermittent claudication patients through a prediction model based on clinical characteristics and the walking impairment questionnaire. METHODS: The sample included 133 intermittent claudication patients of both genders aged between 30 and 80 years. Data regarding clinical characteristics, the walking impairment questionnaire and treadmill walking test performance were obtained. Multiple regression modeling was conducted to predict claudication onset distance and total walking distance using clinical characteristics (age, height, mass, body mass index, ankle brachial index lower, gender, history of smoking and co-morbid conditions) and walking impairment questionnaire responses. Comparisons of claudication onset distance and total walking distance measured during treadmill tests and estimated by a regression equation were performed using paired t-tests. RESULTS: Co-morbid conditions (diabetes and coronary artery disease) and questions related to difficulty in walking short distances (walking indoors - such as around your house and walking 5 blocks) and at low speed (walking 1 block at average speed - usual pace) resulted in the development of new prediction models high significant for claudication onset distance and total walking distance (p0.05) were observed. CONCLUSION: The current study demonstrated that walking capacity can be adequately estimated based on co-morbid conditions and responses to the walking impairment questionnaire

NGC 5385, NGC 2664 and Collinder 21: three candidate Open Cluster Remnants

We present CCD UBVI photometric and medium/high resolution spectroscopic observations obtained in the field of the previously unstudied dissolving open cluster candidates NGC 5385, NGC 2664 and Collinder~21. Our analysis stands on the discussion of star counts, photometry, radial velocity distribution, and proper motions available from the Tycho~2 catalogue. All the three aggregates clearly emerge from the mean Galactic field, but, regrettably, the close scrutiny of proper motions and radial velocities reveals that we are not facing any physical group. Instead, what we are looking at are just chance alignments of a few bright unrelated stars. Our analysis casts some doubt on the Bica et al. (2001) criterion to look for Possible Open Cluster Remnants. It seems mandatory to define a better criterion to adopt for further investigations.Comment: 12 pages, 12 eps figures (7, 9 and 11 degraded in resolution), accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic

Double or binary: on the multiplicity of open star clusters

Observations indicate that the fraction of potential binary star clusters in the Magellanic Clouds is about 10%. In contrast, it is widely accepted that the binary cluster frequency in the Galaxy disk is much lower. Here we investigate the multiplicity of clusters in the Milky Way disk to either confirm or disprove this dearth of binaries. We quantify the open cluster multiplicity using complete, volume-limited samples from WEBDA and NCOVOCC. At the Solar Circle, at least 12% of all open clusters appear to be experiencing some type of interaction with another cluster; i.e., are possible binaries. As in the Magellanic Clouds, the pair separation histogram hints of a bimodal distribution. Nearly 40% of identified pairs are probably primordial. Most of the remaining pairs could be undergoing some type of close encounter, perhaps as a result of orbital resonances. Confirming early theoretical predictions, the characteristic time scale for destruction of bound pairs in the disk is 200 Myr or one galactic orbit. Our results show that the fraction of possible binary clusters in the Galactic disk is comparable to that in the Magellanic Clouds.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures; accepted by Astronomy and Astrophysics Letter

Anatomia da artéria pudenda superficial externa: estudo quantitativo

The importance of the superficial external pudendal artery in cases of lower limb obstructive arteriopathies has been established, and a perfect knowledge of its anatomy is desirable for the creation of successful flaps involving it. However, little information is available on the morphometry of this artery. PURPOSE: In this study, we conducted a quantitative investigation of the superficial external pudendal artery as the basis for skin grafts. METHOD: Twenty-five right and left sides of the inguinal region of male cadavers were dissected. After retracting the skin at the inguinal region, the femoral vessels and the sapheno-femoral junction were exposed. The following aspects were then analyzed: 1) the presence of the superficial external pudendal artery, 2) the place of origin of the superficial external pudendal artery and the common trunk, 3) the duplication of the superficial external pudendal artery, 4) the distance from the superficial external pudendal artery or the common trunk to the inguinal ligament, and 5) the diameter of the superficial external pudendal artery. RESULTS: The results were the following: 1) superficial external pudendal arteries were found in 46 of 50 sides (92%); 2) they originated from the femoral artery in 45 cases and from the deep femoral artery in only 1 case; 3) the arteries were found duplicated in 21 cases (46%), as a common trunk in 11 cases (24%), and as a single artery in 14 cases (30%); 4) the distance from the superficial external pudendal artery to the inguinal ligament ranged from 0.8 cm to 8.5 cm; from the common trunk, it ranged from 3.5 cm to 6.7 cm; 5) the diameter of the superficial external pudendal artery ranged from 1.2 mm to 3.8 mm; and 6) the diameter of the common trunk ranged from 1.35 mm to 5.15 mm. CONCLUSION: The results show that the superficial external pudendal artery generally originates from the femoral artery. It was found as a common trunk, duplicated, or as a single artery. There was a great variability in both the diameter of the artery and the distance from the artery to the inguinal ligament. Most of the data showed no significant differences between the right and the left sides.A importância do conhecimento da anatomia da artéria pudenda superficial externa está bem estabelecida e um conhecimento adequado de sua anatomia é desejável para a criação bem sucedida de flaps. Entretanto, são escassos os trabalhos morfométricos sobre esta artéria. OBJETIVO. No presente estudo, foi feita uma análise quantitativa da artéria pudenda superficial externa, como base para enxertos de pele. MÉTODO. Foram dissecadas 25 regiões inguinais direitas e 25 esquerdas de cadáveres do sexo masculino. Após rebater a pele da região inguinal, os vasos femorais, a junção safeno-femoral e a artéria pudenda superficial externa foram expostas. Os seguintes aspectos foram então analisados: 1. Presença da artéria pudenda superficial externa; 2. Local de origem da artéria pudenda superficial externa ou do tronco comum; 3. Duplicação da artéria pudenda superficial externa; 4. Distância da artéria pudenda superficial externa ou do tronco comum ao ligamento inguinal; 5. Diâmetro da artéria pudenda superficial externa. RESULTADOS. Os resultados mostraram que: 1. A artéria pudenda superficial externa foi encontrada em 46 dos 50 lados dissecados (92%); 2. A artéria teve origem na artéria femoral em 45 casos; em um único caso teve origem na artéria femoral profunda; 3. A artéria foi encontrada duplicada, em 21 casos (46%), formando um tronco comum, que depois se bifurcava, em 11 casos (24%) e como uma artéria única 14 vezes (30%); 4. A distância da artéria ao ligamento inguinal variou de 0,8 cm a 8,5 cm; quando sob a forma de tronco comum, esta distância variou de 3,5 cm a 6,7 cm; 5. O diâmetro da artéria pudenda superficial externa variou de 1,36 mm a 5,15 mm. CONCLUSÕES. Os resultados mostram que a artéria pudenda superficial externa origina-se, na grande maioria dos casos, da artéria femoral. Foi encontrada como um tronco comum, duplicada ou como uma artéria única. O diâmetro da artéria mostrou grande variabilidade assim como a distância da artéria ao ligamento inguinal. A maioria dos dados não mostrou diferença significante entre os lados direito e esquerdo

A kinematic study of Open Clusters: implications for their origin

The Galactic population of open clusters provides an insight into star formation in the Galaxy. The open cluster catalogue by Dias et al.(2002b) is a rich source of data, including kinematic information. This large sample made it possible to carry out a systematic analysis of 481 open cluster orbits, using parameters based on orbit eccentricity and separation from the Galactic plane. These two parameters may be indicative of origin, and we find them to be correlated. We also find them to be correlated with metallicity, another parameter suggested elsewhere to be a marker for origin in that high values of any of these two parameters generally indicates a low metallicity ([Fe/H] Solar$<-$0.2 dex). The resulting analysis points to four open clusters in the catalogue being of extra-Galactic origin by impact of high velocity cloud on the disk: Berkeley21, 32, 99, and Melotte66, with a possible further four due to this origin (NGC2158, 2420, 7789, IC1311). A further three may be due to Galactic globular cluster impact on the disk i.e of internal Galactic origin (NGC6791, 1817, and 7044).Comment: 14 pages, 816 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS 14-May-201

Not an open cluster after all: the NGC 6863 asterism in Aquila

Shortly after birth, open clusters start dissolving; gradually losing stars into the surrounding star field. The time scale for complete disintegration depends both on their initial membership and location within the Galaxy. Open clusters undergoing the terminal phase of cluster disruption or open cluster remnants (OCRs) are notoriously difficult to identify. From an observational point, a combination of low number statistics and minimal contrast against the general stellar field conspire to turn them into very challenging objects. To make the situation even worst, random samples of field stars often display features that may induce to classify them erroneously as extremely evolved open clusters. In this paper, we provide a detailed study of the stellar content and kinematics of NGC 6863, a compact group of a few stars located in Aquila and described by the POSS as a non existent cluster. Nonetheless, this object has been recently classified as OCR. The aim of the present work is to either confirm or disprove its OCR status by a detailed star-by-star analysis. The analysis is performed using wide-field photometry in the UBVI pass-band, proper motions from the UCAC3 catalogue, and high resolution spectroscopy as well as results from extensive $N$-body calculations. Our results show that the four brightest stars commonly associated to NGC 6863 form an asterism, a group of non-physically associated stars projected together, leading to the conclusion that NGC 6863 is not a real open cluster.Comment: 10 pages, 8 eps figure, in press in Astronomy and Astrophysis. Abstract shortened to fit i

NGC2180: a disrupting open cluster

The spatial dependence of luminosity and mass functions of evolved open clusters is discussed in this work using J and H 2MASS photometry. The target objects are the overlooked open cluster NGC2180 and the intermediate-age open cluster NGC3680. We conclude that, although in an advanced dynamical state (mass segregated), NGC3680 does not present strong signs of dissolution. On the other hand, NGC2180 presents flat, eroded LFs throughout its structure, indicating that in addition to mass segregation, Galactic tidal stripping has been effective in depleting this cluster of stars. Accordingly, NGC2180 may be the missing link between evolved open clusters and remnants. We study both clusters in the context of dynamical states estimated from diagnostic-diagrams involving photometric and structural parameters. Both clusters are dynamically evolved systems. In particular, NGC2180 is closer to open cluster remnants than NGC3680.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figure

Frontera Intercultural IV

El presente trabajo trata de presentar el proyecto Frontera Intercultural IV que trata de presentar nuestra diversidad cultural latinoamericana, sensibilizando estudiantes y profesores de enseño fundamental en escuelas públicas de Foz do Iguaçu envueltas sobre las relaciones interculturales, a través de cuentos clásicos regionalizados, canciones, juegos didacticos, etc. En presencia de la lengua español