PERMANÊNCIA ACADÊMICA EM UM PROGRAMA DE NIVELAMENTO UNIVERSITÁRIO VENEZUELANO: CASO UNIVERSIDADE SIMÓN BOLÍVAR

This research was aimed at determining to what extent factors prior to university admission, motivational factors, and institutional experiences explain the academic persistence of students in the University Leveling Term (CIU) at the Simon Bolivar University - Coastal Campus. An explanatory-type quantitative study was proposed, which involved a non-experimental cross-sectional retrospective causal relationship design. The sample consisted of 101 students (50.5% female) with an average age of 17.90 years (SD = 2.37). The study found a significant relationship between some variables explaining academic persistence, which were: a) having a lower orientation toward academic goals; b) a higher score on the maladaptive pattern; c) a higher score in the perception of the Mathematics professor’s evaluation; and d) a higher score in the final performance. This set of variables explains 56.4% of the academic persistence in the CIU program for the study sample. Based on results, this research posits a possible explanation for the academic persistence and analyzes the importance of comparing findings with new research works in different academic settings. La investigación tuvo como objetivo determinar en qué medida factores previos al ingreso universitario, factores motivacionales y experiencias institucionales explican la persistencia académica de los estudiantes del Ciclo de Iniciación Universitaria (CIU) de la Universidad Simón Bolívar-Sede del Litoral. Se planteó un diseño cuantitativo de tipo explicativo, con un diseño no experimental, transeccional de relación causal retrospectiva. La muestra estuvo conformada por 101 estudiantes (50.5% mujeres) con una edad promedio de 17.90 años (DE= 2.37). Se encontró una relación significativa entre algunas variables que explican la persistencia académica, las cuales fueron: (a) tener menor orientación a las metas académicas, (b) mayor puntaje en patrón desadaptativo, (c) mayor puntaje en la percepción de evaluación del docente de matemáticas y (c) mayor puntaje en el rendimiento final. Este conjunto de variables explica el 56.4% de la persistencia académica en el programa CIU para la muestra de estudio. A partir de los resultados se plantea una posible explicación a la persistencia académica y se analiza la importancia de contrastar los hallazgos con nuevas investigaciones en distintos escenarios académicos.O objetivo da pesquisa foi determinar em que medida, os fatores prévios à admissão na universidade, os fatores motivacionais e as experiências institucionais, explicam a permanência acadêmica de estudantes do Ciclo de Iniciação Universitária (CIU) da Universidade Simón Bolívar-Sede do Litoral. Foi proposto um desenho quantitativo de tipo explicativo, com um projeto transversal não experimental de relação causal retrospectiva. A amostra foi composta por 101 alunos (50,5% do sexo feminino) com idade média de 17,90 anos (DE = 2,37). Verificou-se uma relação significativa entre algumas variáveis que explicam a permanência acadêmica, que foram: (a) ter menor orientação para os objetivos acadêmicos, (b) maior pontuação no padrão inadaptado, (c) maior pontuação na percepção da avaliação do professor de matemáticas e (d) pontuações mais altas no desempenho final. Este conjunto de variáveis explica 56,4% da permanência acadêmica no programa CIU para a amostra do estudo. A partir dos resultados, é apresentada uma possível explicação à permanência acadêmica e se analisa a importância de comparar os resultados encontrados com novas pesquisas em diferentes contextos acadêmicos

Incidence, remission and mortality of convulsive epilepsy in rural northeast South Africa

Background: Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological conditions globally, estimated to constitute 0.75% of the global burden of disease, with the majority of this burden found in low- and middle- income countries (LMICs). Few studies from LMICs, including much of sub-Saharan Africa, have described the incidence, remission or mortality rates due to epilepsy, which are needed to quantify the burden and inform policy. This study investigates the epidemiological parameters of convulsive epilepsy within a context of high HIV prevalence and an emerging burden of cardiovascular disease. Methods: A cross-sectional population survey of 82,818 individuals, in the Agincourt Health and Socio-demographic Surveillance Site (HDSS) in rural northeast South Africa was conducted in 2008, from which 296 people were identified with active convulsive epilepsy. A follow-up survey was conducted in 2012. Incidence and mortality rates were estimated, with duration and remission rates calculated using the DISMOD II software package. Results: The crude incidence for convulsive epilepsy was 17.4/100,000 per year (95%CI: 13.1-23.0). Remission was 4.6% and 3.9% per year for males and females, respectively. The standardized mortality ratio was 2.6 (95%CI: 1.7-3.5), with 33.3% of deaths directly related to epilepsy. Mortality was higher in men than women (adjusted rate ratio (aRR) 2.6 (95%CI: 1.2-5.4)), and was significantly associated with older ages (50+ years versus those 0-5 years old (RR 4.8 (95%CI: 0.6-36.4)). Conclusions: The crude incidence was lower whilst mortality rates were similar to other African studies; however, this study found higher mortality amongst older males. Efforts aimed at further understanding what causes epilepsy in older people and developing interventions to reduce prolonged seizures are likely to reduce the overall burden of ACE in rural South Africa

Cocoa intake and arterial stiffness in subjects with cardiovascular risk factors

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To analyze the relationship of cocoa intake to central and peripheral blood pressure, arterial stiffness, and carotid intima-media thickness in subjects with some cardiovascular risk factor.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>Design: A cross-sectional study of 351 subjects (mean age 54.76 years, 62.4% males). Measurements: Intake of cocoa and other foods using a food frequency questionnaire, central and peripheral (ambulatory and office) blood pressure, central and peripheral augmentation index, pulse wave velocity, ambulatory arterial stiffness index, carotid intima-media thickness, and ankle-brachial index.</p> <p>Results: Higher pulse wave velocity and greater cardiovascular risk were found in non-cocoa consumers as compared to high consumers (<it>p </it>< 0.05). In a multivariate analysis, these differences disappeared after adjusting for age, gender, the presence of diabetes, systolic blood pressure and antihypertensive and lipid-lowering drug use. All other arterial stiffness measures (central and peripheral augmentation index, ambulatory arterial stiffness index, ankle-brachial index, and carotid intima-media thickness) showed no differences between the different consumption groups.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In subjects with some cardiovascular risk factors, cocoa consumption does not imply improvement in the arterial stiffness values.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>Clinical Trials.gov Identifier: <a href="http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01325064">NCT01325064</a>.</p

Contemporary characteristics and outcomes in chagasic heart failure compared with other nonischemic and ischemic cardiomyopathy

Background: Chagas’ disease is an important cause of cardiomyopathy in Latin America. We aimed to compare clinical characteristics and outcomes in patients with heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction caused by Chagas’ disease, with other etiologies, in the era of modern HF therapies. Methods and Results: This study included 2552 Latin American patients randomized in the PARADIGM-HF (Prospective Comparison of ARNI With ACEI to Determine Impact on Global Mortality and Morbidity in Heart Failure) and ATMOSPHERE (Aliskiren Trial to Minimize Outcomes in Patients With Heart Failure) trials. The investigator-reported etiology was categorized as Chagasic, other nonischemic, or ischemic cardiomyopathy. The outcomes of interest included the composite of cardiovascular death or HF hospitalization and its components and death from any cause. Unadjusted and adjusted Cox proportional hazards models were performed to compare outcomes by pathogenesis. There were 195 patients with Chagasic HF with reduced ejection fraction, 1300 with other nonischemic cardiomyopathy, and 1057 with ischemic cardiomyopathy. Compared with other etiologies, Chagasic patients were more often female, younger, and had lower prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and renal impairment (but had higher prevalence of stroke and pacemaker implantation) and had worse health-related quality of life. The rates of the composite outcome were 17.2, 12.5, and 11.4 per 100 person-years for Chagasic, other nonischemic, and ischemic patients, respectively—adjusted hazard ratio for Chagasic versus other nonischemic: 1.49 (95% confidence interval, 1.15–1.94; P=0.003) and Chagasic versus ischemic: 1.55 (1.18–2.04; P=0.002). The rates of all-cause mortality were also higher. Conclusions: Despite younger age, less comorbidity, and comprehensive use of conventional HF therapies, patients with Chagasic HF with reduced ejection fraction continue to have worse quality of life and higher hospitalization and mortality rates compared with other etiologies. Clinical Trial Registration: PARADIGM-HF: URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01035255; ATMOSPHERE: URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00853658

Trends and area variations in Potentially Preventable Admissions for COPD in Spain (2002-2013): A significant decline and convergence between areas

Background: Potentially Preventable Hospitalizations (PPH) are hospital admissions for conditions which are preventable with timely and appropriate outpatient care being Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) admissions one of the most relevant PPH. We estimate the population age-sex standardized relative risk of admission for COPD-PPH by year and area of residence in the Spanish National Health System (sNHS) during the period 2002–2013. Methods: The study was conducted in the 203 Hospital Service Areas of the sNHS, using the 2002 to 2013 hospital admissions for a COPD-PPH condition of patients aged 20 and over. We use conventional small area variation statistics and a Bayesian hierarchical approach to model the different risk structures of dependence in both space and time. Results: COPD-PPH admissions declined from 24.5 to 15.5 per 10, 000 persons-year (Men: from 40.6 to 25.1; Women: from 9.1 to 6.4). The relative risk declined from 1.19 (19 % above 2002–2013 average) in 2002 to 0.77 (30 % below average) in 2013. Both the starting point and the slope were different for the different regions. Variation among admission rates between extreme areas dropped from 6.7 times higher in 2002 to 4.6 times higher in 2013. Conclusions: COPD-PPH conditions in Spain have undergone a strong decline and a reduction in geographical variation in the last 12 years, suggesting a general improvement in health policies and health care over time. Variability among areas still remains, with a substantial room for improvement

The electric and magnetic form factors of the proton

The paper describes a precise measurement of electron scattering off the proton at momentum transfers of $0.003 \lesssim Q^2 \lesssim 1$\ GeV$^2$. The average point-to-point error of the cross sections in this experiment is $\sim$ 0.37%. These data are used for a coherent new analysis together with all world data of unpolarized and polarized electron scattering from the very smallest to the highest momentum transfers so far measured. The extracted electric and magnetic form factors provide new insight into their exact shape, deviating from the classical dipole form, and of structure on top of this gross shape. The data reaching very low $Q^2$ values are used for a new determination of the electric and magnetic radii. An empirical determination of the Two-Photon-Exchange (TPE) correction is presented. The implications of this correction on the radii and the question of a directly visible signal of the pion cloud are addressed.Comment: 38 pages, 20 figures. Updated data files. PRC versio

The relationship between social support and self-reported health status in immigrants: an adjusted analysis in the Madrid Cross Sectional Study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Social support is an important factor in the adaptation process of immigrants, helping for their integration in a new environment. The lack of social support may influence on well-being and health status. The aim of this study is to describe the social support of immigrant and native population and study the possible association between immigration and lack social support after adjusting for sociodemographic factors, income, stress and self-reported health status.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Cross-sectional population based study of immigrants and national patients without mental disorders of 15 urban primary health centers in the north-eastern area of Madrid. Participants provided information on social support, stress level, perceived health status and socio-economic characteristics. Descriptive and multiple logistic regression were conducted.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The proportion of the global perception of social support among immigrants and natives was 79.2% and 94.2%, respectively. The lack of global social support adjusted prevalence ratio (PR) of immigrant was 2.72 (95% Confidence Interval = 1.81-4.09), showing a significant association with being male (PR = 2.26), having monthly income below 500 euros (PR = 3.81) and suffering stress (PR = 1.94). For the dimensions of lack of social support the higher association was being an immigrant and suffering stress.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We conclude that with regardless of the level of monthly income, stress level, self-reported health status, and gender, immigrant status is directly associated with lack social support. The variable most strongly associated with lack social support has been monthly income below 500 euros.</p