200 research outputs found
Building a personal symbolic space model from GSM CellID Positioning Data
Série : Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering, vol. 7The context in which a person uses a mobile context-aware application can be described by many dimensions, including the, most popular, location and position. Some of the data used to describe these dimensions can be acquired directly from sensors or computed by reasoning algorithms. In this paper we propose to contextualize the mobile user of context-aware applications by describing his/her location in a symbolic space model as an alternative to the use of a position represented by a pair of coordinates in a
geometric absolute referential. By exploiting the ubiquity of GSM networks, we describe a method to progressively create this symbolic and personal space model, and propose an approach to compute the level of familiarity a person has with each of the identified places. The validity of the developed model is evaluated by comparing the identified places and the computed values for the familiarity index with a ground truth represented by GPS data and the detailed agenda of a few persons
Oral health related quality of life in pregnant and post partum women in two social network domains; predominantly home-based and work-based networks
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Individuals connected to supportive social networks have better general and oral health quality of life. The objective of this study was to assess whether there were differences in oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) between women connected to either predominantly home-based and work-based social networks.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A follow-up prevalence study was conducted on 1403 pregnant and post-partum women (mean age of 25.2 ± 6.3 years) living in two cities in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Women were participants in an established cohort followed from pregnancy (baseline) to post-partum period (follow-up). All participants were allocated to two groups; 1. work-based social network group - employed women with paid work, and, 2. home-based social network group - women with no paid work, housewives or unemployed women. Measures of social support and social network were used as well as questions on sociodemographic characteristics and OHRQoL and health related behaviors. Multinomial logistic regression was performed to obtain OR of relationships between occupational contexts, affectionate support and positive social interaction on the one hand, and oral health quality of life, using the Oral Health Impacts Profile (OHIP) measure, adjusted for age, ethnicity, family income, schooling, marital status and social class.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There was a modifying effect of positive social interaction on the odds of occupational context on OHRQoL. The odds of having a poorer OHIP score, ≥4, was significantly higher for women with home-based social networks and moderate levels of positive social interactions [OR 1.64 (95% CI: 1.08-2.48)], and for women with home-based social networks and low levels of positive social interactions [OR 2.15 (95% CI: 1.40-3.30)] compared with women with work-based social networks and high levels of positive social interactions. Black ethnicity was associated with OHIP scores ≥4 [OR 1.73 (95% CI: 1.23-2.42)].</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Pregnant and post-partum Brazilian women in paid employment outside the home and having social supports had better OHRQoL than those with home-based social networks.</p
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A biochemical and ultrastructural evaluation of the type 2 Gaucher mouse
Gaucher mice, created by targeted disruption of the glucocerebrosidase gene, are totally deficient in glucocerebrosidase and have a rapidly deteriorating clinical course analogous to the most severely affected type 2 human patients. An ultrastructural study of tissues from these mice revealed glucocerebroside accumulation in bone marrow, liver, spleen, and brain. This glycolipid had a characteristic elongated tubular structure and was contained in lysosomes, as demonstrated by colocalization with both ingested carbon particles and cathepsin D. In the central nervous system (CNS), glucocerebroside was diffusely stored in microglia cells and in brainstem and spinal cord neurons, but not in neurons of the cerebellum or cerebral cortex. This rostralcaudal pattern of neuronal lipid storage in these Gaucher mice replicates the pattern seen in type 2 human Gaucher patients and clearly demonstrates that glycosphingolipid catabolism and/or accumulation varies within different brain regions. Surprisingly, the cellular pathology of tissue from these Gaucher mice was relatively mild, and suggests that the early and rapid demise of both Gaucher mice and severely affected type 2 human neonates may be the result of both a neurotoxic metabolite, such as glucosylsphingosine, and other factors, such as skin water barrier dysfunction secondary to the absence of glucocerebrosidase activity
Socio-Economi Study Of Trawl Fisheries In Samar Sea, Philippines
Samar Sea is one of the major fishing grounds in Northwestern Samar with abundant pelagic and demersal fishery resources. In order to holistically manage the area, the Alliance of Local Government Units in Samar Sea planned to collectively manage the fishery resources using the concept of Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM). However, the absence of socio-economic data as baseline for assessing and monitoring socio-economic impacts of proposed management actions is one of the important missing information. Therefore, a socio-economic study of trawl fisheries in the Samar Sea was conducted to gather baseline information for the formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation purposes of the proposed fishery management measures and contribute to the Samar Sea Fisheries Management Plan (SSFMP) to address its impact on affected fisher folks.
The socio-economic survey covered both commercial trawls (fish and shrimp trawls) and smaller-scale municipal trawls (shrimp and squid trawls) with a total of 517 respondents and examined age composition, participation of female fishers, and also education. Majority of the respondents were male (99% in commercial fish trawls and 92.5% in commercial shrimp trawls). Most of the fishermen were between 25 to 44 years of age. In general, fishers’ education was inadequate with many only with elementary level education.. Most respondents were not members of any organization but those that were listed as part of an organization were members of fisherfolk association which is the most common type. Extended families exist among the respondents. In all types of trawling households, both commercial and municipal, the son, daughter and wife are the primary household members who stay with the respondents.
Fishing was the most dominant source of livelihood of household members. Farming, teaching, carpentry, overseas work, fish processing, aquaculture, livestock rearing, fish brokering and ancillary fishing related occupations were among the household members’ livelihood sources. Access to credit is very low and correspond with the low membership in associations. There is a need for training on basic safety at sea as in general very minimal life-saving equipment and materials are onboard.
The municipal trawler with a 10-16 hp engine seems to be operate more profitably than the municipal trawler with a 80 hp engine, considering operational costs vs. net profit derived from their operations as well as the income for fishermen
Determination of parameters for the evaluation of Phosphorus/Calcium metabolism in adult normal dogs
Diseases that facilitate alterations in the metabolism of calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (Pi) are\ndiverse. Knowing and interpreting normal parameters is fundamental to making a diagnosis.\nIn this study both minerals were evaluated in the blood and urine of 52 healthy adult dogs in\nthree age ranges in years old (group A: from 1 to 5, group B: from 6 to 10, and group C: older\nthan 10).\nCalcium levels exhibited no significant difference across age groups. A significant increase (p = 0.03)\nin phosphorus was found in group C in relation to the other two groups.\nBased on the elimination of both minerals through the urine, evaluated from the fractional\nexcretion (DIP and DICa) and the relation Ca or Pi / Creatinine, a non-significant tendency\nof a lower elimination of Pi through urine was observed, according to DIP values of group C\n(p = 0.055).\nThe values of DIP and DICa were correlated with the ones in Pi or Ca/Cr in urine (r = 0.9, p < 0.0001).\nThese results allow us to infer that the mineral/Cr relation can be used when evaluating\nelimination by urine. The age range must be taken into account when interpreting results of\nphosphorus in blood and urine, since groups older than 10 years old have higher minimum\nand maximum threshold levels than the other two groups.Fil: Martiarena, B. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Cátedra de Clínica Médica de Pequeños Animales; ArgentinaFil: Castillo, V. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Hospital Escuela de Pequeños Animales. Unidad de Endocrinología; ArgentinaFil: Regonat, M. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Cátedra de Patología Clínica; ArgentinaFil: Regonat, M. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Hospital Escuela de Pequeños Animales. Unidad de Laboratorio; ArgentinaFil: Quintana, H. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Cátedra de Nutrición; ArgentinaFil: Quintana, H. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Hospital Escuela de Pequeños Animales. Unidad de Nutrición; ArgentinaFil: Brandi, G. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Cátedra de Patología Clínica; ArgentinaFil: Brandi, G. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Hospital Escuela de Pequeños Animales. Unidad de Laboratorio; ArgentinaFil: Lamarca, G. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Cátedra de Clínica Médica de Pequeños Animales; ArgentinaFil: Molina, E. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Hospital Escuela de Pequeños Animlaes. Unidad de Nefrología y Urología; ArgentinaFil: Ruidiaz, V. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Cátedra de Clínica Médica de Pequeños Animales; ArgentinaFil: Visintini, A. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Cátedra de Clínica Médica de Pequeños Animales; ArgentinaLas enfermedades que alteran el metabolismo fósforo (Pi)/calcio (Ca) son variadas. Para\ndiagnosticarlas es necesario conocer e interpretar parámetros normales. Se estudiaron ambos\nminerales, en sangre y orina, en 52 perros adultos sanos, agrupados según rango etario en años:\nGA de 1 a 5; GB de 6 a 10 y GC ? de 10.\nNo se encontraron diferencias significativas para la calcemia entre los grupos. Hubo un\nincremento significativo para la fosfatemia (p 0.03) y el producto Ca x Pi (p 0.02) en el GC\nrespecto al resto.\nDe la eliminación de ambos minerales en orina, evaluada mediante la excreción fraccional (DIP\ny DICa) y por la relación Calcio o fósforo/creatinina, se observó una tendencia, no significativa,\na una menor eliminación de fósforo, según los valores de DIP en el grupo C (p 0.055). Los\nvalores de DIP y DICa se correlacionaron con los de Fósforo o Calcio/Creatinina (r 0.9, p < 0.0001),\nhaciendo que dichas relaciones pueden ser utilizadas para evaluar la excreción urinaria.\nEl rango etario debe tenerse en cuenta para interpretar resultados del fósforo en sangre y orina,\ndado que los valores de cortes mínimos y máximos son más elevados en los mayores de 10 años
A Comparison of Stimulus Set Size on Tact Training for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Previous studies on skill acquisition have taught targets in stimulus sets composed of different numbers of stimuli. Although the rationale for selection of a stimulus set size is not clear, the number of target stimuli trained within a set is a treatment decision for which there is limited empirical support. The current investigation compared the efficiency of tact training in 4 stimulus set sizes, each of which included 12 stimuli grouped into (a) 4 sets of 3 stimuli, (b) 3 sets of 4 stimuli, (c) 2 sets of 6 stimuli, and (d) 1 set of 12 stimuli. Results of all 4 participants with autism spectrum disorder show tact training with larger (i.e., 6 and 12) stimulus set sizes was more efficient than training with smaller (i.e., 3 and 4) stimulus set sizes
Current and novel therapeutic opportunities for systemic therapy in biliary cancer
none24Biliary tract cancers (BTCs) are a group of rare and aggressive malignancies that arise in the biliary tree within and outside the liver. Beyond surgical resection, which is beneficial for only a small proportion of patients, current strategies for treating patients with BTCs include chemotherapy, as a single agent or combination regimens, in the adjuvant and palliative setting. Increased characterisation of the molecular landscape of these tumours has facilitated the identification of molecular vulnerabilities, such as IDH mutations and FGFR fusions, that can be exploited for the treatment of BTC patients. Beyond targeted therapies, active research avenues explore the development of novel therapeutics that target the crosstalk between cancer and stroma, the cellular pathways involved in the regulation of cell death, the chemoresistance phenotype and the dysregulation of RNA. In this review, we discuss the therapeutic opportunities currently available in the management of BTC patients, and explore the strategies that can support the implementation of precision oncology in BTCs, including novel molecular targets, liquid biopsies and patient-derived predictive tools.openMarin J.J.G.; Prete M.G.; Lamarca A.; Tavolari S.; Landa-Magdalena A.; Brandi G.; Segatto O.; Vogel A.; Macias R.I.R.; Rodrigues P.M.; Casta A.L.; Mertens J.; Rodrigues C.M.P.; Fernandez-Barrena M.G.; Da Silva Ruivo A.; Marzioni M.; Mentrasti G.; Acedo P.; Munoz-Garrido P.; Cardinale V.; Banales J.M.; Valle J.W.; Bridgewater J.; Braconi C.Marin, J. J. G.; Prete, M. G.; Lamarca, A.; Tavolari, S.; Landa-Magdalena, A.; Brandi, G.; Segatto, O.; Vogel, A.; Macias, R. I. R.; Rodrigues, P. M.; Casta, A. L.; Mertens, J.; Rodrigues, C. M. P.; Fernandez-Barrena, M. G.; Da Silva Ruivo, A.; Marzioni, M.; Mentrasti, G.; Acedo, P.; Munoz-Garrido, P.; Cardinale, V.; Banales, J. M.; Valle, J. W.; Bridgewater, J.; Braconi, C
Does thermal time for germination vary among populations of a tree legume (Peltophorum dubium)?
Pregnancy in the mature adult mouse does not alter the proportion of mammary epithelial stem/progenitor cells
Introduction
In humans, an early full-term pregnancy reduces lifetime breast cancer risk by up to 50% whereas a later pregnancy (>35 years old) can increase lifetime risk. Several mechanisms have been suggested, including changes in levels of circulating hormones, changes in the way the breast responds to these hormones, changes in gene expression programmes which may alter susceptibility to transformation and changes to mammary stem cell numbers or behaviour. Previous studies have shown that the mammary tissue isolated from both virgin and parous mice has the ability to repopulate a cleared mammary fat pad in transplant experiments. Limited dilution transplant assays have demonstrated that early pregnancy (at 5 weeks of age) reduces stem/progenitor cell numbers in the mouse mammary epithelium by twofold. However, the effects on stem/progenitor cell numbers in the mammary epithelium of a pregnancy in older animals have not yet been tested.
Methods
Mice were put through a full-term pregnancy at 9 weeks of age, when the mammary epithelium is mature. The total mammary epithelium was purified from parous 7-week post-lactation and age-matched virgin mice and analysed by flow cytometry and limiting dilution cleared fat pad transplants.
Results
There were no significant differences in the proportions of different mammary epithelial cell populations or numbers of CD24+/Low Sca-1- CD49fHigh cells (stem cell enriched basal mammary epithelial compartment). There was no significant difference in stem/progenitor cell frequency based on limiting dilution transplants between the parous and age-matched virgin epithelium.
Conclusions
Although differences between parous and virgin mammary epithelium at later time points post lactation or following multiple pregnancies cannot be ruled out, there are no differences in stem/progenitor cell numbers between mammary epithelium isolated from parous animals which were mated at 9 weeks old and virgin animals. However, a recent report has suggested that animals that were mated at 5 weeks old have a twofold reduction in stem/progenitor cell numbers. This is of interest given the association between early, but not late, pregnancy and breast cancer risk reduction in humans. However, a mechanistic connection between stem cell numbers and breast cancer risk remains to be established
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