The distinctive population structure of Colletotrichum species associated with olive anthracnose in the Algarve region of Portugal reflects a host–pathogen diversity hot spot

Anthracnose (Colletotrichum spp.) is an important disease of olive fruits. Diversity and biogeographic relationships of the olive anthracnose pathogens in the Algarve (Portugal) were investigated, along with host association patterns and disease levels during 2004–2007, to test the hypothesis that this region is a host–pathogen diversity hot spot. Diverse Colletotrichum acutatum and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides populations were identified based on rRNA-internal transcribed spacer and partial β-tubulin 2 gene sequences of 95 isolates. Spatial and temporal variations in the occurrence of the eight genetic entities of the pathogens were linked to olive biogeography. Disease occurrence patterns suggest that C. acutatum populations are more stable pathogens, while C. gloeosporioides populations appear to be more influenced by favourable conditions. Three unique C. acutatum populations were identified, but none of the eight populations were dominant, with the most frequent type representing only 27%. Thus, the population structure of olive anthracnose pathogens in the Algarve is distinct from other parts of Portugal and other world locations, where only one or two genetic entities are dominant. This pattern and level of genetic diversity in a restricted area, where oleaster (wild olive tree), ancient landraces and modern cultivars of olive occur in close proximity, suggests the Algarve as a centre of diversity of the anthracnose pathogens and corroborates recent work suggesting western Mediterranean as an important centre of olive diversity and domestication

Comparación de indicadores de desempeño de la producción agropecuaria: países de américa latina y de la unión europea.

The objective of this study was to conduct a comparative analysisof the characteristics of agricultural and livestock production,especially with respect to technological performance, betweencountries of Latin America and the European Union (EU).Specifically irrigation, mechanization, economically activeagricultural labor force; as well as composed indices of the yieldsof important agricultural and livestock products were considered.The data source was the United Nations Food and AgricultureOrganization statistics data bank (FAOSTAT), from the years 1996to 1998. Factorial and principals components analyses, as well asherarchical clasification, were used, processed with the STAT -ITCF software from the Institut Technique de Céréales et desFourrages, (France). The methodology included a division of thecountries into five groups for Latin America and four for the EU,which allowed the description and detailed analysis of their farmingand animal husbandry performance.El objetivo de este trabajo fue analizar, de forma comparativa, lascaracterísticas de la producción agropecuaria, en relación con sudesempeño, fundamentalmente de tipo tecnológico, de los paísesde América Latina y de la Unión Europea (UE). En particular seconsideraron la irrigación, mecanización, y mano de obra económicamenteactiva en la producción agrícola; así como los índicescompuestos de los rendimientos de los productos agrícolas y ganaderos.La información para realizar los cálculos fue tomada delbanco de datos estadísticos de la Organización de las NacionesUnidas para la Alimentación y la Agricultura (FAOSTAT), de losaños 1996 a 1998. Se utilizaron métodos de análisis factorial y decomponentes principales y la clasificación jerárquica, procesadoscon el software STAT - ITCF, del Institut Technique de Céréales etdes Fourrages, (Francia). La metodología incluyó la división delos países en cinco grupos de América Latina y en cuatro gruposde la UE, lo que permitió la descripción y análisis detallado de sudesempeño agropecuario

Palliative Sedation in Children and Adolescents: the Repercussion in the Family

Background: Estimative demonstrate about 6% of the 20 million people needing palliative care at the end of their life are less than 15 years old. Despite of that, researchers reported several areas of parent dissatisfaction with care including confusing, inadequate, or uncaring communications with clinicians regarding treatment or prognosis of the child’s end of life. Objective: Here we show that about 90% of the families that have a child or an adolescent passing through a situation that needs Palliative Sedation think that this process was necessary to relieve the suffering of the patient. Results: In several reports, parents of terminally ill children describe their perceptions of uncaring and insufficient communication from health care professionals and link that communication with their own lingering regrets and emotional distress. Conclusion: There is the necessity to better capacity the supportive and care team, in order to diminish guilty and grieve feelings, and to provide courses to the care team that can develop the communication process among them and the family

Influence Of Spirituality In Pediatric Cancer Management: A Systematic Review

Context: Pediatric cancer is a wide challenge for the patients, family and health care team. They must deal with anxiety, distress, and pain. Thereby, to find meaning for this journey, they use different coping strategies, among which, spirituality appears to be a way, providing well-being and hope.Objective: The purpose of this review was to analyze the influence of spirituality in childhood cancer care, involving biopsychosocial aspects of child, family, and health professionals facing cancer.Data Sources: To achieve this goal, a systematic review of literature was conducted via electronic databases Scopus, MEDLINE and PubMed using Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms: “spiritualityâ€, “neoplasm†and “pediatricâ€.Study Selection: Through this search it was found 65 articles. After analyzing them by abstract 13 met the eligibility criteria and were entirely read before included in the final sample.Data Extractions: sys Most of the studies stated that spirituality helps pediatric patients and their families to find a positive meaning from cancer experience, turning better the management of child. Besides, health practitioners may be able to facilitate this process working as a multidisciplinary team, providing to patient an unabridged care. Results: In this context, previous studies stated that when health care team respects patient’s spirituality their connection becomes stronger allowing confidence to take place, promoting treatment engagement. Spirituality also revealed to be a psychological support that acts improving life’s quality.Conclusion: So, it is necessary to promote a deep discussion about this topic since graduation, providing humanized care to child with cancer by qualified health practitioners

The Lamb shift in muonic hydrogen 1

Abstract: The long quest for a measurement of the Lamb shift in muonic hydrogen is over. Last year we measured the energy splitting (Pohl et al., Nature, 466, 213 (2010)) in mp with an experimental accuracy of 15 ppm, twice better than our proposed goal. Using current QED calculations of the fine, hyperfine, QED, and finite size contributions, we obtain a rootmean-square proton charge radius of r p = 0.841 84 (67) fm. This value is 10 times more precise, but 5 standard deviations smaller, than the 2006 CODATA value of r p . The origin of this discrepancy is not known. Our measurement, together with precise measurements of the 1S-2S transition in regular hydrogen and deuterium, gives improved values of the Rydberg constant, R ? = 10 973 731.568 16

Neoplasia do pulmão â estudo retrospectivo de 65 casos

RESUMO: A neoplasia pulmonar, entre os tumores malignos, é a maior causa de morte em Portugal, e a sua incidência aumenta constantemente no nosso meio, sendo o diagnóstico quase sempre efectuado em estadios avançados da doença.Com o objectivo de obter alguma resposta para este facto, os autores fizeram uma revisão de 65 processos clínicos, correspondentes aos casos de neoplasia pulmonar diagnosticados no Hospital Pedro Hispano durante o ano de 1998.Evidenciam-se ao mesmo tempo parâmetros como os métodos de diagnóstico, tipo histológico, estadiamento e tratamento, bem como os intervalos de tempo entre cada uma das etapas.Conclui-se ser o doente urn dos responsáveis pelo atraso no diagnóstico, porque valoriza pouco os sintomas e, consequentemente, recorre ao médico demasiado tarde; outro factor de atraso é o estadiamento da doença após o seu diagnóstico, que se encontra dependente de meios auxiliares de diagnóstico muito requesitados e por isso de mais dificil acesso. Contudo, após o estadiamento, a decisão de tratar e o início do tratamento são relativamente precoces.Serve esta revisão para maior consciencialização dos profissionais de saúde, da necessidade de sensibilizar os pacientes para a valorização precoce dos sintomas, principalmente os doentes de risco (fumadores ou portadores de doenças crónicas respiratórias); bem como para a necessidade de criar condições eficientes de acesso aos exames auxiliares de diagnóstico necessários ao estadiamento desta doença, permitindo deste modo, mais e melhores hipóteses terapêuticas.REV PORT PNEUMOL 2000; VI (6): 619-625 ABSTRACT: Lung cancer is the leading cause of death due to malignant neoplasms In Portugal and its incidence is increasing. The majority of cases are diagnosed in an advanced stage, which seriously limits the therapeutic options.In order to acertain the causes for late diagnosis the 65 cases diagnosed In Hospital Pedro Hispano In 1998 were reviewed, looking at the diagnostic method, histologic type, stage and treatment, as well as the time interval between the different steps.The authors concluded that patients are themselves partly responsible for the delayed diagnosis of the disease, as they donât pay sufficient attention to symptoms seeking help only late In the course of the disease. A second factor is that the staging of disease is dependant on sophisticated diagnostic methods that are not easily available. After staging the decision to treat and the beginning of treatment are made relatively quickly.With this study the authors hope to impress on health workers the importance of making the patients more aware of the first warning symptoms and signs or the disease (especially in high risk patients â smokers and with respiratory chronic diseases), and to emphasise the need to create efficient access to the necessary methods of staging, thus permitting, early diagnosis and better chance of treatment.REV PORT PNEUMOL 2000; VI (6): 619-625 Key-words: Lung cancer, time interval, diagnosis, staging, treatment, Palavras-chave: Neoplasia pulmonar, demora média, diagnóstico, estadiamento, tratament

Telemonitorização domiciliária de insuficientes respiratórios crónicos graves e de doentes asmáticos

Resumo: Durante nove meses avaliámos um dispositivo portátil para transferência de dados pela Internet entre doentes e profissionais de saúde: oximetria, ECG, respostas a questionários e mensagens. Foram incluídos 51 insuficientes respiratórios crónicos (IRC) graves acompanhados no Hospital de Pulido Valente (Lisboa) e no Hospital do Espírito Santo (Ãvora) e 21 asmáticos deste último hospital. A utilização e a aceitação deste dispositivo foram avaliadas através de questionários que registaram a opi-nião dos doentes e dos profissionais de saúde. Nos IRC de Lisboa avaliou-se a repercussão deste programa sobre internamentos hospitalares e qualidade de vida dos doentes.Aprender a utilizar o sistema foi mais difícil para os doentes IRC; a maioria (80%) teve problemas com o equipamento, qualificados como raros/ocasionais em 62% dos casos.Para 31 doentes IRC seguidos no hospital de Lisboa, a utilização do sistema foi classificada como correcta em12 doentes, incorrecta em 7 e razoável em12 doentes. Os primeiros tiveram redução do número e duração dos internamentos em relação a igual período anterior ao programa de telemonitorização e melhoria da qualidade de vida, em particular no domínio da actividade. Com este sistema de telemonitorização 80% dos doentes IRC sentiram-se mais/muito mais apoiados e 33 (75%) utilizariam este sistema no futuro, se ele estivesse disponível. No grupo de doentes asmáticos, 81% gostariam de manter este tipo de vigilância. O serviço foi considerado útil pelos investigadores. Concluímos que a telemonitorização domiciliária constitui uma contribuição positiva para a gestão dos doentes crónicos e a sua divulgação deverá ser considerada no futuro.Rev Port Pneumol 2009; XV (3): 385-418 Abstract: For 9 months we evaluated a portable device to transfer patient-clinician data by Internet: oximetry, ECG, clinical questionnaires and messages from the doctor. Fifty-one patients with severe chronic respiratory insufficiency (CRI) were followed at the hospital Pulido Valente and Espírito Santo and 21 asthmatics (A) were followed at the latter hospital. The use and acceptance of this device was evaluated through questionnaires soliciting patientsâ and health professio-nalsâ opinions. Patients with CRI followed in Lisbon were also asked about hospital admissions and quality of life compared with a nine month period before the monitoring programme.CRI patients found learning to use the system more difficult; the majority (80%) reported problems with the equipment, qualified as rare/occasional in 62% of the cases. For 31 CRI patients followed in Lisbon, the use of the system was classified as correct in 12 patients, incorrect in 7 and reasonable in 12 patients. The first group had a reducded number and duration of hospital admissions and also improved quality of life. With this remote monitoring system 80% of CRI patients reported they were more/much more supported and 33 patients (75%) would use this system in the future. 81% of asthmatic patients would also like to maintain this type of monitoring. The service was considered useful by the researchers. We concluded that home telemonitoring was a positive contribution to the management of chronic patients and raised awareness of it should be considered in the future.Rev Port Pneumol 2009; XV (3): 385-418 Palavras-chaves: Asma, DPOC, cuidados ambulatórios, telemedicina, Key-words: Asthma, severe chronic respiratory failure, ambulatory care, telemedicin