Structural Uncertainty and Central Bank Conservatism: The Ignorant Should Shut Their Eyes

We study the problem of a central bank whose policy actions simultaneously affect the information flow about its expectations-augmented Phillips curve and its reputation for toughness in fighting inflation. In an environment with an unknown relationship between inflation surprises and output, big inflation surprises yield big short-term output gains and a strong information flow. Yet optimal policy is very conservative because inflation surprises yield information that increases the volatility of both future inflationary expectations and inflation itself. In fact, the more there is that can be learned about the Phillips curve the less does optimal policy aim towards learning

Biopsy technique in the treatment of osteosarcoma

Seventy-eight consecutive patients with stage IIB osteosarcoma of the appendicular skeleton, treated between 1982 and 1992, were studied to determine whether the technique of biopsy affected the prognosis for long term survival. The risk of local recurrence was significant (p < 0.02) after open biopsy, as was the poor response to chemotherapy (p < 0.05) after percutaneous biopsy. We recommend percutaneous biopsy, if possible, when an osteosarcoma is suspecte

La Academia de Murillo y la Facultad de Bellas Artes 400 años después

El 11 de enero de 1660 algunos artistas sevillanos, entre quienes se encontraban Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, Francisco de Herrera el Mozo y Juan de Valdés Leal, fundaban en Sevilla, en unas estancias de la Casa Lonja, una Academia del arte de la Pintura, siendo éste el primer establecimiento de enseñanza artística con el que contó la ciudad. En la actualidad, la Facultad de Bellas Artes de la Universidad de Sevilla, como centro superior de enseñanzas artísticas de la ciudad, se siente heredera de esta primigenia institución y, por ello, en el año en el que rememoramos el cuatricentenario del nacimiento de Murillo ha querido participar activamente en los factos conmemorativos de quien fue el primer presidente de su más remoto precedente

Cyanidium sp. Colonizadora de cuevas turísticas

4 páginas.-- 3 figuras..- 18 referencias.-- Comunicación presentada en el Congreso Estudio y Conservación del Patrimonio Cultural. Actas 16-19 de noviembre 2015, MálagaLas cuevas albergan variados grupos de microorganismos, entre los que se encuentran los de metabolismo fotosintético, que se desarrollan en las zonas iluminadas.1,2 En general, estos microorganismos forman parte de comunidades estructurales complejas denominadas biofilms, que también pueden estar formados por microorganismos heterótrofos e incluso pequeños invertebrados. De forma natural, los organismos fotosintéticos colonizan las zonas más externas de las cuevas pero en las cuevas turísticas, el sistema de iluminación eléctrica permite su desarrollo en las zonas más profundas, alrededor de los focos de luz. En estos medios es común la presencia de una flora que se relaciona con la otros ambientes aerofíticos, cuyo desarrollo depende de la biorreceptividad del sustrato y de las condiciones ambientales disponibles. La disponibilidad de algunos requisitos como agua, radiación fotosintética activa (PAR) o propiedades del sustrato determinan el tipo de microorganismo presente y su abundancia.N

Tratamiento de los tumores metafiso-epifisarios malignos de extremidad inferior con prótesis

Desde Abril de 1977 hasta Junio de 1992, han sido tratados 110 paciente s mediant e cirugía conservadora por presentar un tumor óseo primitivo maligno en región metafiso-epifisaria de fémur y tibia. El seguimiento medio ha sido de 6.4 años (1- 15 años). El diagnóstico histológico ha sido: osteosarcoma (48 casos), tumore s metastá- sicos (25) y Sarcoma de Ewing (8 casos) entre otros. La localización del tumor fue: extremidad proximal de fémur (42 casos) y distal de fémur y proximal de tibia (56 casos). Todos los pacientes han sido tratados siguiendo los protocolos del Cáncer de la Clínica Universitaria de Navarra. La supervivencia actual se sitúa en el 72%. 5 casos (8%) presentaron recurrencia local y 5 (8%) enfermedad metastásica. La funcionalidad, siguiendo los criterios de Mankin ha sido: en la cadera un 64.6% de excelente s y buenos resultados y en la rodilla un 62.4%. Las principales complicaciones han sido infección (6 casos ) y ruptura del implant e (PTR GSB) (6 casos). Creemos que el desarrollo médicoquirúrgico ha permitido que e l tratamient o conservado r de la extremidad se a e l de elección, frente a la amputación en este tipo de patologíaFrom April 1977 to June 1992, 110 case s of malignant bone tumors have been treated in the Department of Orthopaedic s of the Navarra University Clinic by limb salvage surgery located al he femur and tibia epiphysis. The mean follow-up period was 6.4 year s (1 to 15 years). The histologic diagnosis was osteosarcoma in 48 cases, metastasis in 25 cases, Ewing's sarcoma in 8 case s and others. The anatomi c sites included proximal femur in 42 cases and distal femur or proximal tibia in 56 cases. All the patients wer e treated following the Cance r Protocols of the Navarra Universit y Clinic. At review, the global survival rate wa s 72%. 5 case s (8%) developed local recurrences and 5% metastatic disease. The most significant complications wer e infection 6 cases, and failure of the material of osteosynthesis (Knee endoprosthesis) 6 cases. We think that the medical, surgical and rehabilitative advance s have allowed limb saving surger y t o becom e th e primar y metho d o f treatmen t o f bon e malignan t tumor s i n young children, being a successful alternative to amputation

Efeito de BAP sobre a proliferação de brotos in vitro de Schizolobium amazonicum Huber ex Ducke (paricá).

O paricá, planta nativa das florestas tropicais, pertencente à família das caesalpinaceae, é uma espécie considerada com grande potencial devido à sua larga utilização. Com o objetivo de multiplicação da espécie in vitro, segmentos caulinares de plântulas estabelecidas in vitro foram excisados e inoculados em meio MS sólido suplementado com 0; 1,0; 1,5; 2,0; 2,5 e 3,0 mg.L-1 de BAP, 3% de sacarose e 0,1% de PVP. As atividades foram realizadas no Laboratório de Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia da Embrapa Amazônia Oriental, Belém (PA). As culturas foram mantidas sob fotoperíodo de 16 horas luz e 25+ 1°C de temperatura. Após três semanas realizou-se a avaliação com a contagem do número e comprimento de brotos por explante. O tratamento com 3 mg.L-1 BAP foi o que apresentou maior número de proliferação dos brotos, com 2,14 brotos por explante. Posteriormente, os brotos foram transferidos para o meio MS nas mesmas condições de cultivo para enraizamento

A Social-Ecological View of Barriers and Facilitators for HIV Treatment Adherence: Interviews with Puerto Rican HIV Patients

PURPOSE: To identify perceived barriers and facilitators for HAART adherence among people living with HIV/AIDS in Southern Puerto Rico using a Social Ecological framework. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Individual in-depths interviews were conducted with 12 HIV patients with a history of HAART non-adherence. Interviews were audio-taped and transcribed. Content analysis was performed for each transcribed interview by three independent coders using a codebook. Using Atlas TI, super-codes and families were generated to facilitate the categorization tree as well as grounded analyses and density estimates. RESULTS: Most participants reported a monthly income of $500 or less (n = 7), a high school education level (n = 7), being unemployed (n = 9) and being recipients of government health insurance (n = 11). Three out of six women reported living alone with their children and most men informed living with their parents or other relatives (n = 4). For the grounded analyses, the top four sub-categories linked to high number of quotations were mental health barriers (G = 32) followed by treatment regimen (G = 28), health system (G = 24) and interpersonal relations (G = 16). The top four sub-categories linked to high number of codes are treatment regimen (D = 4), health status perception (D = 3), interpersonal relations (D = 3) and health system (D = 3). CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest the interconnection of HIV treatment adherence barriers at various system levels. Future studies on HIV treatment barriers should explore these interactions and investigate the possible synergistic effect on non-adherent behavior

Design and Methods for a Comparative Effectiveness Pilot Study: Virtual World vs. Face-to-Face Diabetes Self-Management

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes (diabetes) is a serious threat to public health in the United States and disproportionally affects many racial/ethnic minority groups, including African Americans. Limited access to treatment and high attrition rates further contribute to health disparities in diabetes-related morbidity and mortality among minorities. Greater opportunities for increasing access and decreasing barriers to treatment are needed. Technology-based interventions have potential for accomplishing this goal but evidence of feasibility and potential effectiveness is lacking, especially for populations that traditionally have limited educational attainment and low computer literacy. OBJECTIVE: This paper describes the design and methods of a pilot randomized clinical trial that will compare the feasibility and potential efficacy of delivering a diabetes self-management intervention via a virtual world vs. a face-to-face format. METHODS: Study participants (n=100) will be African American women with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes recruited from primary care practices and affiliated health centers at a large safety net hospital in Massachusetts. Participants will be randomized into a virtual world-based (VW) intervention condition or a face-to-face control condition. Both conditions provide the same theory-based curriculum and equivalent exposure to the self-management program (eight group sessions), and both will be delivered by a single intervention team (a dietitian and a diabetes educator). Assessments will be conducted at baseline and 4 months. Feasibility will be determined by evaluating the degree to which participants engage in the VW-based intervention compared to face to face (number of sessions completed). Potential efficacy will be determined by comparing change in physiological (glycemic control) and behavioral (self-reported dietary intake, physical activity, blood glucose self-monitoring, and medication adherence) outcomes between the experimental and control groups. RESULTS: The primary outcomes of interest are feasibility of the VW intervention and its potential efficacy on glucose control and diabetes self-management behaviors, compared to the face-to-face condition. Analysis will use a two-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov test for changes in variable distribution. P values will be calculated using binomial tests for proportions and t tests for continuous variables. CONCLUSIONS: If the intervention is found to be feasible and promising, it will be tested in a larger RCT

Adipose Tissue Architecture and Gestational Weight Gain in Normoglycemic Pregnancies

Objective: To investigate histologic architecture of subcutaneous (SQAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) growth in relationship to gestational weight gain (GWG). Epidemiological data suggest that SQAT expansion may be protective of obesity related co-morbidities, whereas VAT expansion is associated with Type-2 diabetes risk. We hypothesized that in normal gravidas, GWG would be associated with hypertrophy of SQAT and not VAT. Methods: A subset of subjects enrolled in the Pregnancy & Postpartum Observational Dietary Study (PPODS) and undergoing Cesarean delivery had SQAT (midline superior edge Pfannenstiel incision) and VAT (inferior omental periphery) biopsies after neonatal delivery, uterine closure and hemostasis achievement. Excised tissues were fixed and stained. Average adipocyte size and capillary density were assessed in 10 independent sections per AT depot per subject. GWG determined by the difference of weight at first visit and immediately postpartum (1-4 days post-op). GWG plotted vs mean SQAT or VAT adipocyte size. Results: Table illustrates general clinical characteristics of the 5 subjects. Figure A demonstrates SQAT and VAT mean adipocyte size with representative sections from patient E depicted above bar graphs representing means and SEM from 5 patients. SQ adipocytes were significantly larger than those from VAT. Significant positive correlation was noted between GWG and SQAT adipocyte size (Figure B), but not VAT adipocyte size (Figure C). Discussion: Preliminary results reveal that in normal pregnancies, GWG is associated with changes in SQAT but not VAT architecture, which reflects lipid accumulation. These results are consistent with the model that SQAT is specifically adapted for healthy lipid storage, and provides a basis for comparison between normal gravidas and those with GDM