Differential Geometry explained easily: A new teaching concept

This article describes a new method to teach differential geometry in a way which is more intuitive, more appealing to students, and which can help students to better understand crucial concepts of differential geometry

Sundance: A Novel Community-based Pilot Program for Later-stage Dementia Care

This article provides background, philosophy, and program development strategies used for Sundance, a community-based dementia care program in Portland, Oregon. The program is an innovative extension of existing adult day services. It is designed to serve individuals with later-stage dementia who demonstrate challenging behaviors and live in the community with a family caregiver. Programming includes evidence informed person-centered care using nonpharmacologic strategies and sensory-based interventions

Der Einfluss der Antibiotikazugabe zum Kontrastmittel auf das Auftreten infektiöser Komplikationen bei der endoskopisch retrograden Cholangiographie

Ziel: Das Ziel dieser retrospektiven Kohortenstudie war es, den Einfluss der Zugabe von Antibiotika zum Kontrastmittel auf die infektiöse Komplikationsrate bei der endoskopisch retrograden Cholangiographie bei Patienten mit Galleabflussstörung zu untersuchen. Methoden:Bei der Studie handelt es sich um eine retrospektive Kohortenstudie. Die infektiöse Komplikationsrate innerhalb von 3 Tagen nach der ERC wurde bei Untersuchungen mit Zugabe von Vancomycin, Gentamicin und Fluconazol zum Kontrastmittel mit Untersuchungen ohne Zugabe von Antibiotika und Antimykotika zum Kontrastmittel verglichen. Ergebnisse: Es wurden insgesamt 84 Untersuchungen in die Studie aufgenommen. Das Studienkollektiv wies ein hohes Risiko für infektiöse Komplikationen auf, da 9.5 % der Untersuchungen an Patienten mit einer Tumorobstruktion der Gallengänge und 75 % an Patienten mit sklerosierender Cholangitis durchgeführt wurden. 91,4% der Gallekulturen der Patienten mit Antibiotika im Kontrastmittel waren postitiv. Von den gefundenen Bakterien waren 93 % gegenüber mindestens einem der gegebenen Antibiotika sensibel. Die infektiöse Komplikationsrate wurde innerhalb des Studienkollektivs durch die Zugabe von Antibiotika zum Kontrastmittel signifikant verringert (14.3 % vs. 33.3 %; Odds Ratio: 0.33, 95% Konfidenzintervall 0.114 – 0.978, p=0.045). Bei Einbeziehung der Störvariablen "akute Cholangitis zum ERC-Zeitpunkt" und "Erfolg der ERC" in die Berechnung der Signifikanz wird der Effekt der Zugabe von Antibiotikum als noch größer eingeschätzt (OR = 0.153; 95% KI: 0.039-0.598, p = 0.007). Patienten mit sekundär sklerosierender Cholangitis profitierten am deutlichsten von der intraduktalen Antibiotikaprophylaxe. Fazit: Die infektiöse Komplikationsrate der ERC wurde innerhalb des Studienkollektivs durch die Zugabe von Antibiotika zum ERC- Kontrastmittel signifikant verringert. Zur Überprüfung der Resultate ist die Durchführung einer prospektiv randomisierten Studie zu empfehlen

Galaxies as Fluctuations in the Ionizing Background Radiation at Low Redshift

Some Lyman continuum photons are likely to escape from most galaxies, and these can play an important role in ionizing gas around and between galaxies, including gas that gives rise to Lyman alpha absorption. Thus the gas surrounding galaxies and in the intergalactic medium will be exposed to varying amounts of ionizing radiation depending upon the distances, orientations, and luminosities of any nearby galaxies. The ionizing background can be recalculated at any point within a simulation by adding the flux from the galaxies to a uniform quasar contribution. Normal galaxies are found to almost always make some contribution to the ionizing background radiation at redshift zero, as seen by absorbers and at random points in space. Assuming that about 2 percent of ionizing photons escape from a galaxy like the Milky Way, we find that normal galaxies make a contribution of at least 30 to 40 percent of the assumed quasar background. Lyman alpha absorbers with a wide range of neutral column densities are found to be exposed to a wide range of ionization rates, although the distribution of photoionization rates for absorbers is found to be strongly peaked. On average, less highly ionized absorbers are found to arise farther from luminous galaxies, while local fluctuations in the ionization rate are seen around galaxies having a wide range of properties.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures, references added, clarified explanation of first two equation

Aplicação dos princípios da dança de salão ao processo criativo de uma cena

Monografia (graduação)—Universidade de Brasília, Instituto de Artes, Departamento de Artes Cênicas, 2013.O objetivo do presente trabalho é tornar uma cena mais orgânica e visualmente mais fluente partindo de princípios da dança de salão. A autora utiliza especificamente o Tango de Salão para exemplificar os princípios desejados e para tal conta com a bibliografia de Marco Antônio Perna (RJ) e Maurício Castro como referências da dança de salão. Iniciamente ela aborda a dança de salão em uma perspectiva histórica, em seguida, explicita os princípios da Dança de Salão que foram utilizados e finaliza especificando o processo criativo do espetáculo Quem Disse Que Não, dando ênfase à cena Imobilidade

Sobre aplicação do princípio de interação entre os corpos da dança samba de gafieira a processos criativos teatrais

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Instituto de Artes, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Artes, 2019.Esta pesquisa investiga a aplicação do princípio de interação entre os corpos da dança samba de gafieira (SG) a processos criativos teatrais, a fim de averiguar suas possibilidades e potencialidades artísticas. Para isso, conjuntamente à investigação teórica foram desenvolvidos três diferentes processos criativos ao longo destes estudos de mestrado: GANCHOS (2018); Quarta da Carne (2019) e ALAÍDE (2019), que auxiliaram na investigação de algumas hipóteses levantadas inicialmente. A metodologia de abordagem se dá a partir da mútua alimentação entre fundamentação teórica e processo prático-poético, apoiada pelas noções da Practice as Research (PaR) compartilhadas pelo professor e pesquisador inglês Robin Nelson. Busca-se examinar a possibilidade de uma organicidade na fusão entre as linguagens do teatro e da dança de salão brasileira samba de gafieira e possíveis potencialidades artísticas provenientes dessa organicidade. A dissertação está dividida em três momentos. A partir de uma breve perspectiva histórica no Capítulo I busca-se compreender melhor como se deu a formação desta dança, investigando as hibridações culturais que possibilitaram o desenvolvimento das danças de salão brasileiras no Brasil para buscar melhor compreender como ocorreu a origem da dança samba de gafieira. Para isso contarei com o importante auxilio de autoras e autores nesta busca como Elizabeth Aldrich (1998), Bettina Ried (2003), Nestor Garcia Canclini (2016), Peter Burke (2006), Zeca Ligiéro (2011), Alejandro Frigerio, Lira Neto (2017), Jota Efegê (1974), Leonor Costa (2011) e Marco Antônio Perna (2011). No Capítulo II serão abordadas características básicas das danças de salão brasileiras e características específicas do samba de gafieira com o objetivo de buscar melhor compreender o princípio de interação entre os corpos do samba de gafieira a ser aplicado aos processos criativos. Para tentar alcançar essa melhor compreensão será estabelecido um diálogo com outros(as) teóricos(as) como Maristela Zamoner (2011), Denise Zenícola (2005) e Edward T. Hall (1977) e ainda José Gil (2001), Zilá Muniz (2011), Ciane Fernandes (2006), Lenira Peral Rengel (2001), que aportam conceitos úteis baseados nas práticas de coreógrafos(as) como Steve Paxton, Anna Halprin, Merce Cunningham e Rudolf Laban, que darão suporte a conceitos trabalhados no samba de gafieira. No Capítulo III os processos criativos teatrais serão apresentados e analisados individualmente a partir dos conceitos trabalhados nos capítulos anteriores e em seguida será compartilhada a busca das potencialidades artísticas realizada a partir de exercícios e provocações cênicas que ocorreu ao longo desta pesquisa. Os resultados alcançados supriram as expectativas iniciais, revelando um potencial ainda maior do que o imaginado na criação de cenas a partir da dança samba de gafieira, bem como sobre os benefícios para a cena e para os intérpretes que a prática da interação entre os corpos pode trazer.This research investigates the application of the principle of interaction between the bodies of the dance samba de gafieira (SG) to creative theatrical processes, in order to ascertain their possibilities and artistic potentialities. For this, jointly to the theoretical investigation were developed three different creative processes throughout these master's studies: GANCHOS (2018); Quarta da Carne (2019) and ALAÍDE (2019), which helped to investigate some hypotheses raised initially. The methodology of approach comes from the mutual feeding between theoretical foundation and practical-poetic process, supported by the notions of Practice as Research (PaR) shared by the English professor and researcher Robin Nelson. It seeks to examine the possibility of an organicity in the fusion between the languages of the theater and the Brazilian ballroom dance samba de gafieira and possible artistic potentials from this organicity. The dissertation is divided into three moments. From a brief historical perspective in Chapter I, it is sought to better understand how the formation of this dance occurred, investigating the cultural hybridizations that allowed the development of the Brazilian ballroom dances in Brazil to better understand how the origin of the dance samba de gafieira. For this I will count on the important help of authors and authors in this search, such as Elizabeth Aldrich (1998), Bettina Ried (2003), Nestor Garcia Canclini (2016), Peter Burke (2006), Zeca Ligiéro (2011), Alejandro Frigerio, Lira Neto (2017), Jota Efegê (1974), Leonor Costa (2011) and Marco Antônio Perna (2011). In Chapter II, basic characteristics of the Brazilian ballroom dances and specific characteristics of the samba de gafieira will be approached in order to better understand the principle of interaction between samba de gafieira bodies to be applied to creative processes. To try to achieve this better understanding will be established a dialogue with other theoreticians such as Maristela Zamoner (2011), Denise Zenícola (2005) and Edward T. Hall (1977) and José Gil (2001), Zilá Muniz (2005), Ciane Fernandes (2006), Lenira Peral Rengel (2001), who provide useful concepts based on the practices of choreographers such as Steve Paxton, Anna Halprin, Merce Cunningham and Rudolf Laban, who will support concepts workrd on samba de gafieira. In Chapter III, the theatrical creative processes will be presented and analyzed individually based on the concepts worked on in previous chapters, and then the search for artistic potentialities will be shared through exercises and scenic provocations that occurred throughout this research. The results achieved have met the initial expectations, revealing an even greater potential than imagined in the creation of scenes from the dance samba de gafieira, as well as on the benefits to the scene and to the interpreters that the practice of the interaction between the bodies can bring

CONSIDERAÇÕES INICIAIS SOBRE HIBRIDAÇÃO CULTURAL E A DANÇA DE SALÃO BRASILEIRA SAMBA DE GAFIEIRA

Este artigo investiga a dança Samba de Gafieira à luz da hibridização cultural, vista aqui como possivelmente fundamental no advento dessa dança de salão brasileira e, consequentemente, crucial para melhor compreende-la. Por meio da análise crítica de publicações de diferentes pesquisadores e pesquisadoras de ambos os objetos do nosso duplo foco, hibridações culturais desde a colonização do Brasil e processos responsáveis por novas práticas e estruturas culturalmente hibridas são abordadas na primeira seção, destacando sua relação com a Dança de Salão. A dança Samba de Gafieira é examinada na segunda seção, para que na última foquemos em seis qualidades de performances afro-americanas (FRIGERIO 2003), que também corroboram com nossa compreensão dessa dança brasileira como artística e culturalmente híbrida.

Effect of Long-Term Low-Dose Arsenic Exposure on DNA Methylation and Gene Expression in Human Liver Cells

Millions of people around the world are exposed to elevated levels of arsenic through food or drinking water. Epidemiological studies have linked chronic arsenic exposure to an increased risk of several cancers, cardiovascular disease, central nervous system neuropathies, and genotoxic as well as immunotoxic effects. In addition to the induction of oxidative stress and inhibition of DNA repair processes, epigenetic effects, including altered DNA methylation patterns resulting in aberrant gene expression, may contribute to carcinogenicity. However, the underlying mechanisms by which chronic micromolar concentrations of arsenite affect the methylation status of DNA are not fully understood. In this study, human HepG2 hepatocarcinoma cells were treated with 0.5–10 μM sodium arsenite for 24 h, 10, or 20 days. During these periods, the effects on global DNA methylation, cell cycle phase distribution, and gene expression were investigated. While no impact on DNA methylation was seen after short-term exposure, global hypomethylation was observed at both long-term exposure periods, with concomitant induction of the DNA methyltransferase genes DNMT1 and DNMT3B, while DNMT3A was slightly down-regulated. Pronounced time- and concentration-dependent effects were also seen in the case of genes involved in DNA damage response and repair, inflammation, oxidative stress response, and metal homeostasis. These results suggest that chronic low-dose arsenite exposure can lead to global hypomethylation. As an underlying mechanism, the consistent down-regulation of DNA methyltransferase genes could be excluded; alternatively, interactions at the protein level could play an important role

Prophylaxis of post-ERC infectious complications in patients with biliary obstruction by adding antimicrobial agents into ERCcontrast media- a single center retrospective study

Background: Patients with biliary obstruction are at high risk to develop septic complications after endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC). We evaluated the benefits of local application of antimicrobial agents into ERC contrast media in preventing post-ERC infectious complications in a high-risk study population. Methods: Patients undergoing ERC at our tertiary referral center were retrospectively included. Addition of vancomycin, gentamicin and fluconazol into ERC contrast media was evaluated in a case-control design. Outcomes comprised infectious complications within 3 days after ERC. Results: In total, 84 ERC cases were analyzed. Primarily indications for ERC were sclerosing cholangitis (75%) and malignant stenosis (9.5%). Microbial testing of collected bile fluid in the treatment group was positive in 91.4%. Detected organisms were sensitive to the administered antimicrobials in 93%. The use of antimicrobials in contrast media was associated with a significant decrease in post-ERC infectious complications compared to non-use (14.3% vs. 33.3%; odds ratio [OR]: 0.33, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.114-0.978). After adjusting for the variables acute cholangitis prior to ERC and incomplete biliary drainage, the beneficial effect of intraductal antibiotic prophylaxis was even more evident (OR = 0.153; 95% CI: 0.039-0.598, p = 0.007). Patients profiting most obviously from intraductal antimicrobials were those with secondary sclerosing cholangitis. Conclusion: Local application of a combination of antibiotic and antimycotic agents to ERC contrast media efficiently reduced post-ERC infectious events in patients with biliary obstruction. This is the first study that evaluates ERC-related infectious complications in patients with secondary sclerosing cholangitis. Our first clinical results should now be prospectively evaluated in a larger patient cohort to improve the safety of ERC, especially in patients with secondary sclerosing cholangitis