West Virginia Nursing Homes: Are They Up to the Standard?

Quality measurement and performance monitoring are under continuous assessment in Nursing Homes (NH). Through this research project we assess the quality of care provided in the NH in the state of West Virginia by publicly accessible quality measurements. The methodology for this research study was through the retrieval of data from the Nursing Home Compare website in which a total of 80 NH were located and analyzed. The results demonstrate that more than 50% of NH in West Virginia are at or above the national average when compared using the Five Star Rating System by CMS, in overall rating (59%), health inspections (57%), nursing home(55%). Contrary to the prevailing reputation, the nursing homes of West Virginia are at or above the nation’s average in overall rating, health quality measures

Driving Assessment Results in Patients with a Diagnosis of Dementia

Primary care physicians are frequently involved in cases in which they must decide if a patient with dementia should stop driving. The decision is complex, and there are no firm clinical guidelines available. We examined the results of a number of patients who have undergone assessment in our Driving Assessment Clinic, to determine if any of our findings correlated with the diagnosis of dementia. If any associations exist, recommendations may be possible to assist PCPs in making the decision to have patients stop driving, even if full formal testing cannot be done

Ganadería incaica en el Noroeste argentino: análisis de la arqueofauna de dos poblados prehispánicos

Este trabajo intenta aportar información sobre las prácticas ganaderas de las sociedades tardías del Noroeste argentino. A partir del análisis de muestras arqueofaunísticas de dos poblados de la provincia de Jujuy, La Huerta y Papachacra, se realizan consideraciones acerca del papel desempeñado por la ganadería de camélidos en el momento Incaico. Asimismo, se plantean similitudes y diferencias con contextos Incaicos de los Andes Centrales.The purpose of this contribution is to provide information on the herding practices of late societies of the Argentine Northwest. On the basis of faunal analyses of samples from two settlements in the province of Jujuly, La Huerta and Papachacra, the role of camelid herding during the Inca period is considered. Similarities and differences with Inca contexts in the Central Andes are set forthSociedad Argentina de Antropologí

Ganadería incaica en el Noroeste argentino: análisis de la arqueofauna de dos poblados prehispánicos

Este trabajo intenta aportar información sobre las prácticas ganaderas de las sociedades tardías del Noroeste argentino. A partir del análisis de muestras arqueofaunísticas de dos poblados de la provincia de Jujuy, La Huerta y Papachacra, se realizan consideraciones acerca del papel desempeñado por la ganadería de camélidos en el momento Incaico. Asimismo, se plantean similitudes y diferencias con contextos Incaicos de los Andes Centrales.The purpose of this contribution is to provide information on the herding practices of late societies of the Argentine Northwest. On the basis of faunal analyses of samples from two settlements in the province of Jujuly, La Huerta and Papachacra, the role of camelid herding during the Inca period is considered. Similarities and differences with Inca contexts in the Central Andes are set forthSociedad Argentina de Antropologí

Alcohol-Based Adsorption Heat Pumps using Hydrophobic Metal-Organic Frameworks

The building climate industry and its influence on energy consumption have consequences on the environment due to the emission of greenhouse gasses. Improving the efficiency of this sector is essential to reduce the effect on climate change. In recent years, the interest in porous materials in applications such as heat pumps has increased for their promising potential. To assess the performance of adsorption heat pumps and cooling systems, here we discuss a multistep approach based on the processing of adsorption data combined with a thermodynamic model. The process provides properties of interest, such as the coefficient of performance, the working capacity, the specific heat or cooling effect, or the released heat upon adsorption and desorption cycles, and it also has the advantage of identifying the optimal conditions for each adsorbent-fluid pair. To test this method, we select several metal-organic frameworks that differ in topology, chemical composition, and pore size, which we validate with available experiments. Adsorption equilibrium curves were calculated using molecular simulations to describe the adsorption mechanisms of methanol and ethanol as working fluids in the selected adsorbents. Then, using a thermodynamic model we calculate the energetic properties combined with iterative algorithms that simultaneously vary all the required working conditions. We discuss the strong influence of operating temperatures on the performance of heat pump devices. Our findings point to the highly hydrophobic metal azolate framework MAF-6 as a very good candidate for heating and cooling applications for its high working capacity and excellent energy efficiency

Evaluation of standard reagents for radial-immunodiffusion assays : In vitro control of rabies vaccines

The RID assay is one of the in vitro methods used for in-process control in the production of rabies vaccines for veterinary use. It has been shown to be very useful for determining antigen concentration in the final bulk product. The work presented in this paper, including the production and standardization of candidate standard reagents for use in the Radial Immunodiffusion Assay (RID) was carried out at the Pan American Institute for Food Protection and Zoonoses (INPPAZ/PAHO/WHO). The study was completed with the cooperation of the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, National University of La Plata (NULP), Argentina, where the validation of the proposed standards and the quality control of samples from 28 different batches of rabies vaccines produced with Pasteur strain rabies virus (PV) in BHK cells were performed. The activity of the vaccines was determined by in vivo (NIH) and in vitro (RID)assays. The results of the candidate reagents for the reagent standardization tests showed stability, sensitivity and reproducibility. The Relative Potency the 1.2 between the problem vaccines and the reference vaccine was estimated by variance and regression analysis. The results of our validation study show that the INPPAZ (PAHO/WHO) is capable of producing and distributing the above-mentioned standard reagents, as well as of providing support for the incorporation of the RID technique (sensitive, rapid and inexpensive) to the laboratories that manufacture rabies vaccines in Latin America and the Caribbean.Facultad de Ciencias Veterinaria

A Cross-Sectional Study of Prisoners in Mexico City Comparing Prevalence of Transmissible Infections and Chronic Diseases with That in the General Population.

ObjectivesTo describe patterns of transmissible infections, chronic illnesses, socio-demographic characteristics and risk behaviors in Mexico City prisons, including in comparison to the general population, to identify those currently needing healthcare and inform policy.Materials and methodsA cross-sectional study among 17,000 prisoners at 4 Mexico City prisons (June to December 2010). Participation was voluntary, confidential and based on informed consent. Participants were tested for HIV, Hepatitis B & C, syphilis, hypertension, obesity, and, if at risk, glucose and cholesterol. A subset completed a questionnaire on socio-demographic characteristics and risk behaviors. Positive results were delivered with counseling and treatment or referral.Results76.8% (15,517/20,196) of men and 92.9% (1,779/1,914) of women participated. Complete data sets were available for 98.8%. The following prevalence data were established for transmissible infections: HIV 0.7%; syphilis: Anti-TP+/VDRL+ 2.0%; Hepatitis B: HBcAb 2.8%, HBsAg 0.15%; Anti-HCV 3.2%. Obesity: 9.5% men, 33.8% women. Compared with national age- and sex-matched data, the relative prevalence was greater for HIV and syphilis among women, HIV and Hepatitis C in men, and all infections in younger participants. Obesity prevalence was similar for women and lower among male participants. The prevalence of previously diagnosed diabetes and hypertension was lower. Questionnaire data (1,934 men, 520 women) demonstrated lower educational levels, increased smoking and substance use compared to national data. High levels of non-sterile tattooing, physical abuse and histories of sexual violence were found.ConclusionThe study identified that health screening is acceptable to Mexico City prisoners and feasible on a large-scale. It demonstrated higher prevalence of HIV and other infections compared to national data, though low rates compared to international data. Individual participants benefited from earlier diagnosis, treatment and support. The data collected will also enable the formulation of improved policy for this vulnerable group

High Intellectual Capabilities and emotional skills in early childhood education. A case study to design a psychoeducational intervention

El propósito del presente trabajo es profundizar en el estudio de un caso de una alumna con Altas Capacidades Intelectuales que presenta dificultades para expresar, reconocer y regular sus emociones en distintos contextos. Se diseña un programa de intervención psicoeducativa, orientado a mejorar las habilidades emocionales y fomentar la inclusión en el aula de educación infantil. Dicha intervención está compuesta por cinco fases, con actividades dirigidas a familiares, profesorado y alumnado. Además, se propone una evaluación continua y otra antes y después de aplicar el programa, para comprobar si ha resultado eficaz.This work present a case study of a student with High Intellectual Capabilities who presents difficulties to express, recognize and regulate their emotions in different contexts. A program of psychoeducational intervention is designed, aimed at improving emotional skills and promoting inclusion in the preschool classroom. This intervention is composed of five phases, with activities aimed at parents, teachers and students. In addition, presents a continuing and pre-post evaluation to determine the effectiveness of the program

On the Use of Water and Methanol with Zeolites for Heat Transfer

Reducing carbon dioxide emissions has become a must in society, making it crucial to find alternatives to supply the energy demand. Adsorption-based cooling and heating technologies are receiving attention for thermal energy storage applications. In this paper, we study the adsorption of polar working fluids in hydrophobic and hydrophilic zeolites by means of experimental quasi-equilibrated temperature-programmed desorption and adsorption combined with Monte Carlo simulations. We measured and computed water and methanol adsorption isobars in high-silica HS-FAU, NaY, and NaX zeolites. We use the experimental adsorption isobars to develop a set of parameters to model the interaction between methanol and the zeolite and cations. Once we have the adsorption of these polar molecules, we use a mathematical model based on the adsorption potential theory of Dubinin-Polanyi to assess the performance of the adsorbate-working fluids for heat storage applications. We found that molecular simulations are an excellent tool for investigating energy storage applications since we can reproduce, complement, and extend experimental observations. Our results highlight the importance of controlling the hydrophilic/hydrophobic nature of the zeolites by changing the Al content to maximize the working conditions of the heat storage device.</p