First Case of Systemic Coronavirus Infection in a Domestic Ferret (Mustela putorius furo) in Peru.

A domestic ferret from Lima, Peru, died after ten days of non-specific clinical signs. Based on pathology, immunohistochemistry and molecular analysis, ferret systemic coronavirus (FRSCV)-associated disease was diagnosed for the first time in South America. This report highlights the potential spread of pathogens by the international pet trade

Cerebral complexity preceded enlarged brain size and reduced olfactory bulbs in Old World monkeys

Analysis of the only complete early cercopithecoid (Old World monkey) endocast currently known, that of 15-million-year (Myr)-old Victoriapithecus, reveals an unexpectedly small endocranial volume (ECV) relative to body size and a large olfactory bulb volume relative to ECV, similar to extant lemurs and Oligocene anthropoids. However, the Victoriapithecus brain has principal and arcuate sulci of the frontal lobe not seen in the stem catarrhine Aegyptopithecus, as well as a distinctive cercopithecoid pattern of gyrification, indicating that cerebral complexity preceded encephalization in cercopithecoids. Since larger ECVs, expanded frontal lobes, and reduced olfactory bulbs are already present in the 17- to 18-Myr-old ape Proconsul these features evolved independently in hominoids (apes) and cercopithecoids and much earlier in the former. Moreover, the order of encephalization and brain reorganization was apparently different in hominoids and cercopithecoids, showing that brain size and cerebral organization evolve independently

One-dimensional sigma-models with N=5,6,7,8 off-shell supersymmetries

We computed the actions for the 1D N=5 sigma-models with respect to the two inequivalent (2,8,6) multiplets. 4 supersymmetry generators are manifest, while the constraint originated by imposing the 5-th supersymmetry automatically induces a full N=8 off-shell invariance. The resulting action coincides in the two cases and corresponds to a conformally flat 2D target satisfying a special geometry of rigid type. To obtain these results we developed a computational method (for Maple 11) which does not require the notion of superfields and is instead based on the nowadays available list of the inequivalent representations of the 1D N-extended supersymmetry. Its application to systematically analyze the sigma-models off-shell invariant actions for the remaining N=5,6,7,8 (k,8,8-k) multiplets, as well as for the N>8 representations,only requires more cumbersome computations.Comment: 10 pages; one reference adde

AINFO - versão 5.0: manual on-line.

O AINFO é um sistema para automação de bibliotecas e recuperação de informação, desenvolvimento em padrão Windows, com arquitetura cliente/servidor baseada no sistema gerenciador de banco de dados relacional Firebird. Pemite o gerenciamento de informação técnico-científica, integrando bases de dados documentais, cadastrais e processos bibliográficos através do armazenamento, atualização, indexação e recuperação de informação de forma simples e rápida, utilizando não apenas recursos de um istema gerenciador de banco de dados, como controle de concorrência e manutenção de integridade das bases de dados, mas também oferecendo facilidades de recuperação de informação textual não disponíveis nesses sistemas.bitstream/CNPTIA/10207/1/doc40.pdfAcesso em: 29 maio 2008

Effect of Simulation Based Practice on Attitude, Confidence and Perception of Learning Outcomes of Nursing Students

Introduction: Simulation in nursing education has detonated recently and the use of high fidelity simulators is growing. Simulation means creating situations that resemble situations arise in clinical practice in a safe and less complex environment to enhance students’ learning without putting the patient at risk.  The clinical experience is a significant part of nursing education and students’ preparation for future practice as nurses. However, nursing students sometimes lack self-confidence and experience fear and stress about meeting performance expectations.   It is important for nursing curricula to incorporate educational strategies that foster learning, decrease anxiety and stress, strengths critical thinking and increase self-confidence.  The objective of this study was to examine the effect of simulation based practice on attitude, confidence and learning outcomes among nursing students. Methods: A descriptive design with pre and post-test was employed with a convenience sample of 68 nursing students from college of nursing at King Saud Bin Abdul Aziz University for Health sciences, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Simulation Effectiveness Tool was used to collect data in addition to demographic profile of participants. The tool has been used widely and has a good reliability. Results:  Results showed a mean age of 20.26 (.75) years old and a mean of 3.1 out of 5 for GPA.  Majority were singles, has no previous hospital experience and few previous simulation experience. Students showed positive attitude toward the use of simulation in the pre-test. Students reported improvement in their confidence in preparation for real patients, decision making, what to tell health care providers, recognizing and predicting changes in patients’ condition. Regarding learning outcomes, majority reported that they developed critical thinking abilities, better understanding of clinical experience, assessment skills, decision making skills, and learned from debriefing, observation and peer. Conclusion and recommendations: Existing evidence from the current study support that the use of simulation is tangible teaching and learning methods and students can get many benefits not limited to knowledge gain, application of knowledge, and self-confidence.  Application of simulation in all nursing courses, with more training is highly recommended.  Studying effect of simulation on specific competency and patients outcomes is also crucial. Key words: simulation, attitude, confidence, learning outcome

Unveiling the Active Nucleus of Centaurus A

We report new HST WFPC2 and NICMOS observations of the center of the nearest radio galaxy Centaurus A (NGC 5128) and discuss their implications for our understanding of the active nucleus and jet. We detect the active nucleus in the near-IR (K and H) and, for the first time, in the optical (I and V), deriving the spectral energy distribution of the nucleus from the radio to X-rays. The optical and part of the near-IR emission can be explained by the extrapolation of the X-ray power law reddened by A_V~14mag, a value consistent with other independent estimates. The 20pc-scale nuclear disk discovered by Schreier et al. (1998) is detected in the [FeII] 1.64mic line and presents a morphology similar to that observed in Pa alpha with a [FeII]/Pa alpha ratio typical of low ionization Seyfert galaxies and LINERs. NICMOS 3 Pa alpha observations in a 50"x50" circumnuclear region suggest enhanced star formation (~0.3Msun/yr) at the edges of the putative bar seen with ISO, perhaps due to shocks driven into the gas. The light profile, reconstructed from V, H and K observations, shows that Centaurus A has a core profile with a resolved break at ~4" and suggests a black--hole mass of ~10^9 Msun. A linear blue structure aligned with the radio/X-ray jet may indicate a channel of relatively low reddening in which dust has been swept away by the jet.Comment: 19 pages, 13 figures, Astrophysical Journal, in press. High quality figures available at http://www.arcetri.astro.it/~marconi/colpic.htm

The Diagnosis of Human Fascioliasis by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) Using Recombinant Cathepsin L Protease

Background:Fascioliasis is a worldwide parasitic disease of domestic animals caused by helminths of the genus Fasciola. In many parts of the world, particularly in poor rural areas where animal disease is endemic, the parasite also infects humans. Adult parasites reside in the bile ducts of the host and therefore diagnosis of human fascioliasis is usually achieved by coprological examinations that search for parasite eggs that are carried into the intestine with the bile juices. However, these methods are insensitive due to the fact that eggs are released sporadically and may be missed in low-level infections, and fasciola eggs may be misclassified as other parasites, leading to problems with specificity. Furthermore, acute clinical symptoms as a result of parasites migrating to the bile ducts appear before the parasite matures and begins egg laying. A human immune response to Fasciola antigens occurs early in infection. Therefore, an immunological method such as ELISA may be a more reliable, easy and cheap means to diagnose human fascioliasis than coprological analysis.Methodology/Principal findings:Using a panel of serum from Fasciola hepatica-infected patients and from uninfected controls we have optimized an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) which employs a recombinant form of the major F. hepatica cathepsin L1 as the antigen for the diagnosis of human fascioliasis. We examined the ability of the ELISA test to discern fascioliasis from various other helminth and non-helminth parasitic diseases.Conclusions/Significance:A sensitive and specific fascioliasis ELISA test has been developed. This test is rapid and easy to use and can discriminate fasciola-infected individuals from patients harbouring other parasites with at least 99.9% sensitivity and 99.9% specificity. This test will be a useful standardized method not only for testing individual samples but also in mass screening programs to assess the extent of human fascioliasis in regions where this zoonosis is suspected. © 2013 Gonzales Santana et al

Arthrodiastasis for stiff hips in young patients

Joint distraction (arthrodiastasis) with a unilateral fixator was used to treat 9 patients with stiffness of the hip which had followed Perthes' disease (3), epiphysiolysis (2), congenital dysplasia (2), tuberculosis (1) and idiopathic chondrolysis (1). Their average age was 14 years, and they all had pain, limp and shortening of the leg. Distraction of 0.5 to 1 cm was maintained for an average of 94 days. The average range of movement subsequently was 65 degrees compared with 20 degrees before. The articular space was widened by an average of 2.8 mm, and only 3 patients had pain on follow up

Discursos sobre juventude e práticas psicológicas: a produção dos modos de ser jovem. Brasil

O jovem tem sido foco de atenção de instituições sociais, sejam públicas ou privadas. Nos discursos da sociedade sobre essa população, o jovem aparece associado, mais recentemente, à idéia de inserção nos processos sociais. No campo acadêmico, vê-se uma grande produção de pesquisas e de conhecimento em torno da juventude. Nas produções de conhecimento sobre a juventude, circula um discurso de preocupação com relação aos jovens no tocante à sua integração na ordem social, envolvendo a produção econômica e a constituição familiar. Assim, neste artigo, nos remetemos às concepções de juventude que foram sendo veiculadas em diferentes momentos sociais e a como foi se visibilizando um determinado discurso sobre a categoria juventude, articulado à noção de problema. Buscamos discutir a implicação do modo como as práticas psicológicas foram prescrevendo e legitimando esse discurso e como os jovens estão sendo afetados por determinadas práticas sociais presentes no contemporâneo, gerando diferentes formas de subjetivação que, por sua vez, serão pensadas, investidas e implicadas em relações de poder e verdade, sustentadas por saberes, como, por exemplo, o psicológico. Ainda, procuramos evidenciar como esses sujeitos, neste contemporâneo, estão sendo foco de investimento do mercado capitalista como consumidores potenciais.-I. Introdução. -II. Algumas concepções de juventude. -III. O Campo Psi: prescrições nas concepções de juventude. -IV. A inscrição do jovem no contemporâneo: de sujeito problema a sujeito consumidor. -V. À guisa de conclusão: uma categoria de juventude a ser pensada... -Bibliografia