Stochastic algorithms for discontinuous multiplicative white noise

Stochastic differential equations with multiplicative noise need a mathematical prescription due to different interpretations of the stochastic integral. This fact implies specific algorithms to perform numerical integrations or simulations of the stochastic trajectories. Moreover, if the multiplicative noise function is not continuous then the standard algorithms cannot be used. We present an explicit algorithm to avoid this problem and we apply it to a well controlled example. Finally, we discuss on the existence of higher-order algorithms for this specific situation

Simulation of the fate of the insecticide carbofuran in a rice field using a level IV fugacity model

The object of this work was to verify the utility of a level IV fugacity model to simulate the environmental fate of the insecticide carbofuran when employed in the cultivation of irrigated rice. The model simulated the dynamic distribution of carbofuran in a system comprising of air, water, rice plants and the soil. The results indicated preferential compartments quality, and provided further knowledge of the fate of carbofuran in rice cultivation. Field experiments on rice were carried out to test the correspondence between simulated and measured carbofuran concentration in water and soil. Simulated concentrations had higher values in the compartments water > soil > rice plants > air. The model can be a useful tool for simulating the environmental fate of this insecticide and can be coupled with sensitivity and uncertainty analyses to test the influence of all input parameters on the outputs.51435

Perceptions of patients and health professionals about the quality of care provided to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients].

Objetivo: Explorar la percepción y el conocimiento de pacientes y profesionales sanitarios sobre factores que influyen en la calidad de los cuidados prestados en atención primaria (AP) a personas con enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica (EPOC). Objetivo Explorar la percepción y el conocimiento de pacientes y profesionales sanitarios sobre factores que influyen en la calidad de los cuidados prestados en atención primaria (AP) a personas con enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica (EPOC). Diseño Estudio cualitativo realizado entre febrero y marzo de 2010. Emplazamiento Centros de salud urbanos. Participantes Profesionales médicos y de enfermería de AP y pacientes con EPOC. Métodos Muestreo intencional no probabilístico con criterios de representatividad del discurso. Se realizaron 2 entrevistas grupales y 6 individuales. Las entrevistas fueron grabadas, transcritas literalmente e interpretadas mediante el análisis social del discurso. Resultados Los pacientes no identifican bien la sintomatología ni asumen la importancia de la EPOC hasta estadios avanzados. La falta de conocimiento sobre la evolución de la enfermedad y el impacto en la calidad de vida dificulta la adopción de los cambios necesarios. Los profesionales refieren problemas con la realización de espirometrías. Entre los médicos se identifica escepticismo respecto a la efectividad de las intervenciones dirigidas al cambio de conductas. Como factores organizativos destacan la existencia de Guías de Práctica Clínica (GPC), la coordinación entre profesionales y el alineamiento de prioridades entre gestores y profesionales. Conclusiones Los factores identificados sugieren la posibilidad de mejorar la asistencia sanitaria, adecuando la comunicación con los pacientes para motivarlos a adoptar las modificaciones conductuales necesarias y mejorar la adherencia a los tratamientos. Para ello puede mejorarse la concienciación y la formación de los profesionales, la coordinación asistencial, la implementación de GPC y la utilización de indicadores en un proceso de evaluación de la calidad. Objective To explore the understanding and knowledge of patients and health professionals about factors that influence the quality of care provided in Primary Care to people with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Design Qualitative study performed between February and March 2010. Location Primary Care Centers. Participants Medical and nursing professionals and patients with COPD. Methods Non-probabilistic intentional sampling with representation criterion of the discourse. Two group (focus group) and 6 individual interviews were performed. The interviews were recorded, literally transcribed and interpreted by social discourse analysis. Results Patients neither identify properly the symptomatology nor they assume the COPD importance until advanced states. The lacks of knowledge about the evolution of the disease and the impact on quality of life hinders the necessary changes. Professionals reports problems with performing spirometry. Among doctors, scepticism regarding to the effectiveness of the interventions aimed at change of behaviour is identified. The existence of Clinical Guides, the improvement of the coordination between professionals and the alignment of priorities between managers and professionals stand out as organizational factors. Conclusions The identified factors suggest the possibility of improving the health care through improved communication to motivate them to take the recommended changes and to increase the adherence to treatments. To this effect, the awareness and training of professionals, the healthcare coordination, the implementation of Clinical Guides and the use of indicators in a process of quality assessment

Graviton emission in Einstein-Hilbert gravity

The five-point amplitude for the scattering of two distinct scalars with the emission of one graviton in the final state is calculated in exact kinematics for Einstein-Hilbert gravity. The result, which satisfies the Steinmann relations, is expressed in Sudakov variables, finding that it corresponds to the sum of two gauge invariant contributions written in terms of a new two scalar - two graviton effective vertex. A similar calculation is carried out in Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) for the scattering of two distinct quarks with one extra gluon in the final state. The effective vertices which appear in both cases are then evaluated in the multi-Regge limit reproducing the well-known result obtained by Lipatov where the Einstein-Hilbert graviton emission vertex can be written as the product of two QCD gluon emission vertices, up to corrections to preserve the Steinmann relations.Comment: 28 pages, LaTeX, feynmf. v2: typos corrected, reference added. Final version to appear in Journal of High Energy Physic

Recovery of early meteorological records from Extremadura region (SW Iberia): The ''CliPastExtrem'' (v1.0) database

In this work, we provide instrumental meteorological data recovered for the Extremadura region (interior SW Iberia), from 1826 to mid-20th century. Meteorological variables such as air temperature, atmospheric pressure, precipitation, wind direction and humidity, among others, were retrieved. In total, more than 750 000 instrumental data in 157 meteorological series belonging to 131 different locations throughout Extremadura were rescued. It must be noted that daily resolution data constitutes 80% of the database. This great effort of digitization and data collection has been carried out with the aim of contributing to a significant expansion of the length of the databases with meteorological information in this region. Therefore, this database will provide a better understanding of climate variability, trends and extreme events of the Extremadura region

Novelty Enhances Visual Perception

The effects of novelty on low-level visual perception were investigated in two experiments using a two-alternative forced-choice tilt detection task. A target, consisting of a Gabor patch, was preceded by a cue that was either a novel or a familiar fractal image. Participants had to indicate whether the Gabor stimulus was vertically oriented or slightly tilted. In the first experiment tilt angle was manipulated; in the second contrast of the Gabor patch was varied. In the first, we found that sensitivity was enhanced after a novel compared to a familiar cue, and in the second we found sensitivity to be enhanced for novel cues in later experimental blocks when participants became more and more familiarized with the familiar cue. These effects were not caused by a shift in the response criterion. This shows for the first time that novel stimuli affect low-level characteristics of perception. We suggest that novelty can elicit a transient attentional response, thereby enhancing perception

Mass spectrometry imaging identifies palmitoylcarnitine as an immunological mediator during Salmonella Typhimurium infection

Salmonella Typhimurium causes a self-limiting gastroenteritis that may lead to systemic disease. Bacteria invade the small intestine, crossing the intestinal epithelium from where they are transported to the mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs) within migrating immune cells. MLNs are an important site at which the innate and adaptive immune responses converge but their architecture and function is severely disrupted during S. Typhimurium infection. To further understand host-pathogen interactions at this site, we used mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) to analyse MLN tissue from a murine model of S. Typhimurium infection. A molecule, identified as palmitoylcarnitine (PalC), was of particular interest due to its high abundance at loci of S. Typhimurium infection and MLN disruption. High levels of PalC localised to sites within the MLNs where B and T cells were absent and where the perimeter of CD169+ sub capsular sinus macrophages was disrupted. MLN cells cultured ex vivo and treated with PalC had reduced CD4+CD25+ T cells and an increased number of B220+CD19+ B cells. The reduction in CD4+CD25+ T cells was likely due to apoptosis driven by increased caspase-3/7 activity. These data indicate that PalC significantly alters the host response in the MLNs, acting as a decisive factor in infection outcome

Subtidal macrozoobenthos communities from northern Chile during and post El Niño 1997–1998

Despite a large amount of climatic and oceanographic information dealing with the recurring climate phenomenon El Niño (EN) and its well known impact on diversity of marine benthic communities, most published data are rather descriptive and consequently our understanding of the underlying mechanisms and processes that drive community structure during EN are still very scarce. In this study, we address two questions on the effects of EN on macrozoobenthic communities: (1) how does EN affect species diversity of the communities in northern Chile? and (2) is EN a phenomenon that restarts community assembling processes by affecting species interactions in northern Chile? To answer these questions, we compared species diversity and co-occurrence patterns of soft-bottoms macrozoobenthos communities from the continental shelf off northern Chile during (March 1998) and after (September 1998) the strong EN event 1997–1998. The methods used varied from species diversity and species co-occurrence analyses to multivariate ordination methods. Our results indicate that EN positively affects diversity of macrozoobenthos communities in the study area, increasing the species richness and diversity and decreasing the species dominance. EN represents a strong disturbance that affects species interactions that rule the species assembling processes in shallow-water, sea-bottom environments

HISTORIA CLÍNICA INFORMATIZADA DE ENFERMERÍA EN EL DEPARTAMENTO DE TORREVIEJA SALUD COMO INSTRUMENTO DE GESTIÓN DE CALIDAD

In the information society of the 21st century, it is a fact that the Electronic Clinical History (ECH) is not developed in every country. In Torrevieja Salud Health Department, Alicante (Spain), they work with a unique ECH that includes all divisions, including the nursing ones and an advanced operability level in regards to data management.    Objectives: 1.- To develop all the information sources to facilitate the communication at all levels of care, so any professional in the community or at the hospital can retrieve information about the patient. 2.- To gather the nursing staff and computer technicians knowledge by working together. Methodology: In order to improve the nursing records, they have used a computer program named “FLORENCE”, which is a model of a unique clinical history for the Health Department of Torrevieja. Florence is divided in two environments: Florence Gestión (accountant,-financial, and HH RR scopes) and FLORENCE (clinical assitance scope). This program comes as the result of the teamwork from IT and nursing staff who are knowledgeable of the concerns of the professionals. A product with double value because it combines the nursing methodology and state-of-art technological advances. Conclusions:  Nursing records are valued as an effective instrument to empower the continuation of nursing care and coordinate that care at the best quality, as they are registered in a unique and single program. On the other hand, it ensures constant availability of all the information of the health-disease episodes of a patient, and most importantly, the information is kept confidential.  En la sociedad de la información del siglo XXI, la historia clínica electrónica (HCE) es un hecho que no está por igual desarrollado en todos los países. En el Departamento de Salud de Torrevieja, Alicante, se trabaja con un modelo de HCE único que engloba a todas las áreas incluida  enfermería y en un nivel avanzado de operabilidad en cuanto a manejo de datos.   Objetivos: 1.- Desarrollo de los sistemas de información con el fin de facilitar la comunicación e intercambio de datos entre los distintos profesionales de atención especializada y primaria que componen el Departamento de Salud. 2.- Aunar y optimizar los conocimientos propios  de los profesionales enfermeros e informáticos, a través del trabajo en conjunto.   Metodología: Para llevar a cabo esta mejora en los registros  de enfermería se ha utilizado la aplicación informática, “Florence”, modelo de Historia Clinica Electrónica única y global para el Departamento de Salud de Torrevieja que consta de dos entornos: Florence Gestión (área financiera- contable y  área de recursos humanos) y Florence clínico (área clínico-asistencial).   A través del trabajo en equipo de Informáticos y profesionales de enfermería que conocen el sistema e inquietudes de los profesionales se obtiene un producto doblemente valorado en cuanto a metodología enfermera y suma de los últimos conocimientos tecnológicos. Conclusiones:  Los registros de enfermería se consideran un instrumento efectivo para reflejar toda la información necesaria para poder coordinar y proporcionar unos cuidados de enfermería de máxima calidad al estar almacenados de forma integral. Por otro lado se asegura la disponibilidad de toda la información de los procesos salud-enfermedad de un individuo, asegurando la confidencialidad.