Clinicians’ perceptions of Norwegian women’s experiences of infertility diseases

Background: Norway has one of the best health systems in the world. However, it has a low birth rate, which decreased by 21.2% between 2009 and 2018, and one of the highest rates of infertility prevalence. The aim of this study is to understand how Norwegian doctors perceive female infertility diseases, namely those that are more difficult to diagnose and to treat, and that are more common in their practice. Method: Descriptive qualitative study was conducted with gynecologists and general practitioners. The sample resulted from the establishment of five criteria and on the doctors’ acceptance to participate in this study. Our sample comprised thirteen highly qualified and experienced doctors. Qualitative content analysis was the method chosen to analyze the collected data. Results: Clinical diseases (polycystic ovary syndrome, endometriosis and vulvodynia) and consequences of these diseases were the pinpointed themes. These led to a set of sub-themes: the main symptoms and the treatment of the diseases, from the perspective of both women and doctors (stigmatization, disturbances in women’s daily life, diagnostic delay, and governmental support). Conclusions: The three most relevant disorders mentioned were polycystic ovary syndrome, endometriosis and vulvodynia. These diseases cause several impacts on the lives of women, because they feel stigmatized and limited in their daily life and sexuality, and the diagnosis of these diseases takes too much time. Governments should better redistribute the financing of women’s health and allocate resources to specialized centers.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Tuned liquid dampers simulation for earthquake response control of buildings

This paper is focused on the study of an earthquake protection system, the Tuned Liquid Damper (TLD), which can, if adequately designed, reduce earthquake demands on buildings. This positive effect is accomplished taking into account the oscillation of the free surface of a fluid inside a tank (sloshing). The behaviour of an isolated Tuned Liquid Damper, subjected to a sinusoidal excitation at its base, with different displacement amplitudes, was studied by finite element analysis. The efficiency of the TLD in improving the seismic response of an existing building, representative of modern architecture buildings in southern European countries was also evaluated based on linear dynamic analyses

A proposal of an analytical conflict management model for the Chinese context

China’s culture is different from Western cultures, with various implications including conflict management styles. Many conflict management studies have been based in a set of models with the same or similar assumptions, namely two axis related with concern for self and concern for the other or for the relationship with the other, that produce four or five conflict management styles (e.g., Rahim 2002). However, those similar models do not reflect China’s culture. This study aims to create a model for conflict management styles structure definition that is adapted to Chinese culture.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Optical limiting behavior of bismuth oxide-based glass in the visible range

The authors report experimental results on the optical limiting behavior of a bismuth oxide-based glass by exciting the samples with nanosecond laser pulses at 532 and 598 nm. The results show that two-photon and free-carrier absorption processes contribute for the nonlinear absorption. Values for β, the two-photon absorption coefficient, and σe, the absorption cross section due to free carriers, were determined. The values for β and σe are dependent on the amount of bismuth oxide in the glass composition

Preliminary analysis of differentially expressed genes involved in meat tenderness in Angus and Nelore beef cattle.

ISCB-Latin America 2014. Pôster O10

Determinação do tamanho e da virulência de variantes estáveis (Many Polyhedra) do vírus Anticarsia gemmatalis MNPV.

Entre as limitações relacionadas à produção de baculovírus em cultivos celulares, a mais considerável é a perda de virulência devido a mutações ocasionadas pela passagem serial do vírus. Uma estratégia para a otimização da produção in vitro é a seleção de variantes geneticamente mais estáveis denominados Many Polyhedra (MP). Neste trabalho foi feita a determinação do tamanho dos poliedros e da virulência de seis variantes MP selecionados a partir da passagem do vírus Anticarsia gemmatalis MNPV (AgMNPV) em células BTI-Tn5-B1-4. O cálculo do comprimento dos poliedros foi feito em microscópio eletrônico de varredura DSM 962, Zeiss. O tamanho médio dos clones MPs variou de 1,72??m (MP1) a 2,18 ?m (MP5). O inoculo original AgMNPV-2D, utilizado com referência, apresentou valor de 2,09?m. O tratamento estatístico dos dados, pela Análise de Variância (ANOVA) e teste de Tukey-Kramer, revelou que não existe diferença significante entre os variantes MP2, MP3, MP5, MP6 e AgMNPV-2D. Os variantes MP4 e MP1 foram distintos dos outros clones em relação ao tamanho, o que foi confirmado pelo método de Dunnett’s. Foi feita a avaliação da virulência, por Análise de Regressão Probit, após incorporação do vírus em dieta artificial oferecida a larvas de 3º instar de Anticarsia gemmatalis. Os parâmetros de Concentrações Letais CL50 e CL99 e de Tempo Médio de Mortalidade (TM) das amostras foram determinados. Entre os dados obtidos foi observado que os clones MP4 e MP3 apresentam uma alta virulência, com CL50 de 173 e 504 OBs/ml de dieta e com TM de 7,02 e 7,78 dias, respectivamente. Por outro lado, o clone MP5, com a média maior de tamanho, apresenta uma virulência mais baixa, com CL50 de 1787 OBs/ml de dieta e com TM de 9,34 dias. Não foi possível estabelecer uma correlação entre o tamanho dos poliedros (variação no número de virions) e sua virulência. Os resultados indicam que a virulência está relacionada às características intrínsecas dos genótipos virais que compõem o corpo de oclusão

Bounded rationality in decision making: Biases in managers of the Portuguese port sector

Decision-making is a multidisciplinary and ubiquitous phenomenon in organizations, and it can be observed at the individual, group, and organizational levels. Decision making plays, however, an increasingly important role for the manager, whose cognitive competence is reflected in his ability to identify potential opportunities, to immediately detect and solve the problems he faces, and to predict and prevent future threats. Nevertheless, to what extent do managers of the most diverse sectors continue to rely on false knowledge when they have better strategies at their disposal? The present article proposes the diagnosis of three prominent biases – overconfidence, optimism, and anchoring effect – in managers of the Portuguese port sector, as well as a comparative analysis with the conclusions already documented in relation to the Brazilian civil construction sector. In addition, this paper also provides a set of measures capable of contributing to the mitigation of the effects of these and other biases.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Método alternativo de colheita do guaraná.

Faz-se necessário um método alternativo de colheita que preconiza as operações de limpeza das ruas e coroamento das plantas para facilitar a coleta dos frutos caídos sob as plantas.bitstream/item/125086/1/Com-Tec-79.pd

Transvaginal ultrasonography and hysteroscopy in postmenopausal bleeding: a prospective study

OBJECTIVE: To determine the diagnostic value of transvaginal ultrasonography and hysteroscopy in patients with postmenopausal bleeding. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between January 1, 1998 and June 30, 1999, 88 outpatient women with postmenopausal bleeding were enrolled in a prospective study. They underwent transvaginal ultrasonography and hysteroscopy, and were submitted to directed biopsy during hysteroscopy. Findings were classified as normal endometrium, suggestive of atrophy, focal abnormality (benign or suspicious), and diffuse thickness (benign or suspicious). Data was compared with the final diagnosis, established by histological examination, as atrophy, benign pathology, atypical hyperplasia and endometrial carcinoma. RESULTS: Among 88 women enrolled, 15 were excluded because hysteroscopy was impossible, and four had abandoned the study. The histological findings were scanty material in 12 (17.4%), atrophy in 24 (34.8%), cystic atrophy in one (1.4%), normal endometrium in five (7.2%), tuberculous endometritis in one (1.4%), polyps in 12 (17.4%), leiomyoma in one (1.4%), non-atypical hyperplasia in three (4.3%), atypical hyperplasia in one (1.4%) and endometrial carcinoma in nine cases (13.0%). For the assessment of endometrial carcinoma, ultrasonography revealed sensitivity 77.8%, specificity 93.3%, positive predictive value 63.6%, negative predictive value 96.6%; and hysteroscopy revealed sensitivity of 88.9%, specificity 98.3%, positive predictive value 88.9%, negative predictive value 98.3%. The combined use of both methods revealed sensitivity 100%, specificity 91.7%, positive predictive value 64.3%, negative predictive value 100%. CONCLUSIONS: Both imagiological methods were found to be useful screening tests for endometrial carcinoma. Hysteroscopy was a superior diagnostic procedure

A Q-Ising model application for linear-time image segmentation

A computational method is presented which efficiently segments digital grayscale images by directly applying the Q-state Ising (or Potts) model. Since the Potts model was first proposed in 1952, physicists have studied lattice models to gain deep insights into magnetism and other disordered systems. For some time, researchers have realized that digital images may be modeled in much the same way as these physical systems (i.e., as a square lattice of numerical values). A major drawback in using Potts model methods for image segmentation is that, with conventional methods, it processes in exponential time. Advances have been made via certain approximations to reduce the segmentation process to power-law time. However, in many applications (such as for sonar imagery), real-time processing requires much greater efficiency. This article contains a description of an energy minimization technique that applies four Potts (Q-Ising) models directly to the image and processes in linear time. The result is analogous to partitioning the system into regions of four classes of magnetism. This direct Potts segmentation technique is demonstrated on photographic, medical, and acoustic images.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figures, revtex, uses subfigure.sty. Central European Journal of Physics, in press (2010