Case 12 : Health Operations in Emergencies (HOPE)

Dr. Harry Leonardo is the Manager of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in Washington D.C. The EOC coordinates emergency relief efforts during disaster response in the PAHO region. Dr. Leonardo has developed an information-sharing platform, Health Operations in Emergencies (HOPE), to facilitate communication, enhance situational awareness, and promote collaboration amongst the stakeholders involved in disaster response. Professionals within the EOC and PAHO have reservations about HOPE. The platform has great potential, but it is unclear to what extent the relevant stakeholders have been involved in its development. Dr. Leonardo must make the best use of his resources to implement HOPE. He must formulate a strategy for testing and implementing the information-sharing platform within the organization and for introducing HOPE to all relevant stakeholders in the emergency response environment

Paternity allocation in a mutant Heliothis virescens colony

Tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens (F.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), females can copulate multiple times creating the possibility for sperm competition. We used a colony lacking wild pigmentation on the wings (albino-type) for an experiment in which females double mated. Females copulated 2 days apart with two, 2-day-old males, one albino-type and one wild-type, or in the opposite sequence. A third of the females produced offspring from the first mate, and this group was significantly biased toward producing albino-type compared to wild-type progeny. A fourth of the females produced offspring from the second male exclusively and within this group was a significant bias toward wild-type compared to albino-type progeny. Almost half of the females produced offspring sired in equal proportions by both males simultaneously or in alternated paternities throughout all the reproductive life. These results suggest that regardless of the order in which moths mated, wild-type sperm had potential superior competitiveness. Therefore, sperm precedence is not the main driving force behind the paternity allocation mechanism in this strain of tobacco budworm

Caracterización hidrogeológica del acuífero freático en el entorno de la Laguna Moreno, localidad de Pico Truncado, Provincia de Santa Cruz

Fil: Paoletti, Hugo Gabriel. Cátedra de Hidrogeología. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Perera, Fernando Leopoldo. Cátedra de Hidrogeología. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Ruiz, Maria Soledad. Hidroar S.A. La Plata. Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Hernandez, Patricio Agustín. Hidroar S.A. La Plata. Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Castilla, Alejandro. YPF S.A. Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Martino, Sebastian. YPF S.A. Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Pierrard, Leonardo. YPF S.A. Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires; Argentin

¿Por qué y cómo medir la presión arterial en perros y gatos conscientes?

La de nición de una Presión arterial (PA) normal en perros y gatos es difícil, ya que puede haber variaciones dependiendo de la especie, sexo, edad y la raza; así que los valores deben de interpretarse en base a las características especí cas del paciente y de la condición siológica o patológica presente. En la literatura se han reportado rangos de normalidad para la PAS de 110 a 160 mmHg, y para la PA diastólica de entre 55 a 110 mmHg en los perros; y para los gatos 120 a 160 mmHg de PA sistólica y de 70 a 120 mmHg de PAD. En los perros y gatos conscientes los valores de PAS son los que se utilizan como referencia de la PA, esto debido a que la primera técnica utilizada para medir la PA de forma no invasiva fue el sistema Doppler con el que generalmente solo es posible medir la PAS; además es raro existan alteraciones de la PAD de forma aislada. Cabe mencionar que en el monitoreo trans-anestésico la PA media es el principal indicador de la PA

Random Walks on a Fluctuating Lattice: A Renormalization Group Approach Applied in One Dimension

We study the problem of a random walk on a lattice in which bonds connecting nearest neighbor sites open and close randomly in time, a situation often encountered in fluctuating media. We present a simple renormalization group technique to solve for the effective diffusive behavior at long times. For one-dimensional lattices we obtain better quantitative agreement with simulation data than earlier effective medium results. Our technique works in principle in any dimension, although the amount of computation required rises with dimensionality of the lattice.Comment: PostScript file including 2 figures, total 15 pages, 8 other figures obtainable by mail from D.L. Stei

Reduced endothelin-1– and nitric oxide–mediated arteriolar tone in hypertensive renal transplant recipients

Reduced endothelin-1– and nitric oxide–mediated arteriolar tone in hypertensive renal transplant recipients.BackgroundThe prevalence of hypertension is high in renal transplant recipients. It has been suggested that calcineurin inhibitors (CI) contribute to the development of post-transplant hypertension by stimulating endothelin (ET-1)-mediated and/or reducing nitric oxide (NO)-mediated vascular tone.MethodsWe tested this hypothesis using 2 groups of renal transplant recipients [normotensive patients without a need for antihypertensive medication (Normo-Tx), and hypertensive patients requiring antihypertensives (Hyper-Tx)] in the presence of CI-based immunosuppression. In addition, we studied matched control subjects (C). BQ 123 (ET-A receptor antagonist), BQ123 + BQ788 (ET-A/B-receptor antagonist), ET-1, L-NMMA (NO-synthase inhibitor), acetylcholine (ACH; endothelium-dependent vasodilator), glyceroltrinitrate (GTN, NO donor), and norepinephrine (NE, endothelium-independent vasoconstrictor) were infused into the brachial artery. Forearm blood flow (FBF) was measured by venous occlusion plethysmography.ResultsEndothelium-independent vasomotion in response to GTN and NE was similar in all groups. Vascular responses to selective and combined blockade of ET receptors in both Normo-Tx and Hyper-Tx did not exceed those of C. In fact, we observed a significantly lower increase in FBF after BQ 123 (P = 0.03), as well as after BQ 123/788 (P = 0.03) in Hyper-Tx compared with Normo-Tx. This was associated with an increased vascular sensitivity to exogenous ET-1 in Hyper-Tx compared with Normo-Tx (P = 0.04). Vasoconstriction after L-NMMA was reduced in Hyper-Tx compared with Normo-Tx (P = 0.015), while the response to ACH was reduced in both groups of Tx patients to a similar degree (P = 0.005 vs. C).ConclusionOur results do not support a major role for the vascular endothelin system in the hypertension of renal transplant recipients, whereas deficient baseline NO production may be a contributing factor

cistocentesis en perros y gatos

La evaluación de la orina es de suma importancia en la clínica de perros y gatos, como parte del proceso diagnóstico integral en diferentes patologías sistémicas y urinarias. La obtención de orina se puede realizar por diferentes procedimientos: como son la micción espontánea, la micción inducida por compresión manual, el sondeo transuretral y la cistocentesis. La elección del procedimiento depende principalmente del tipo de estudio que se vaya a realizar con la muestra de orina obtenida -como urianálisis o urocultivo- y de las características anatómicas del paciente o de su temperamento

Caracterización hidrogeológica del acuífero freático en el entorno de la Laguna Moreno, localidad de Pico Truncado, Provincia de Santa Cruz

En el marco de un estudio de diagnóstico ambiental en un sector con intensa actividad antrópica, se desarrolló la caracterización hidrogeológica del acuífero freático en el entorno inmediato y próximo a la Laguna Moreno, situada a unos 3 km al norte de la localidad de Pico Truncado, en el sector centro-norte de la provincia de Santa Cruz. Las principales fuentes de aporte al cuerpo lagunar responden en forma directa a las precipitaciones, al escurrimiento superficial transitorio y al subterráneo, este último definido por el comportamiento centrípeto de la superficie freática. Coincidente con la red de flujo subterránea, los valores de conductividad eléctrica del agua aumentan progresivamente hacia el centro del cuerpo lagunar. Las características y hallazgos de las componentes hidrodinámicas e hidroquímicas del sistema freático investigado, permitieron dilucidar el funcionamiento del acuífero somero respecto a la variable ambiental y antrópica que caracterizan el sitio.In the context of an environmental assessment study in an area with anthropogenic activities, was developed the hydrogeology characterization of phreatic aquifer in a surroundings to Laguna Moreno, situated 3 km north of the city of Pico Truncado, in the north-centre area of Santa Cruz province. The main sources of contribution to the shallow lake body reply in a direct way to the precipitation, to the transitory superficial run-off and groundwater flow, this last was defined by the centripetal behavior of the phreatic surface. Coincident with the local groundwater surface, the values of electrical conductivity of water rising towards the center of the shallow lake. The characteristics and findings of the hydrodynamic and hydrochemical components of the groundwater system investigated, clarify the functionality of hydrogeological system respect to environmental and anthropogenic variables that characterize the site.Universidad Nacional de La Plat