Can snow depth be used to predict the distribution of the high Arctic aphid Acyrthosiphon svalbardicum (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on Spitsbergen?

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Svalbard endemic aphid <it>Acyrthosiphon svalbardicum </it>(Heikinheimo, 1968) is host specific to <it>Dryas octopetala </it>L. ssp <it>octopetala </it>(Rosaceae). It has been hypothesized that the aphid is present on those areas with a thin winter snow cover and which therefore clear of snow earlier in the season. This early snow clearance results in a longer growing period and allows the aphid to experience at least the minimum number of degree days required to complete its life cycle. However, this hypothesis lacked a detailed field validation. We aimed to test the relationship between the aphid distribution and time of snow clearance at landscape scale, mapping snow depth at peak of snow accumulation for the two succeeding years 2009 and 2010 and examining site occupancy and plant phenology the following summers. Additionally, the distribution range mapped by Strathdee & Bale (1995) was revisited to address possible changes in range along the coast of the fjord.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A linear relation between snow depth and timing of snow melt was found but with strong inter-annual and landscape variation. Both snow depth and plant phenology were found to affect patch occupancy. In August, the aphid, at the three life stages scored (viviparae, oviparae/males and eggs), was present most frequently in those <it>D. octopetala </it>patches with the most advanced plant phenology and which showed shallower snow depths in spring. However, many patches predicted to contain aphids were empty. The aphid distribution range has expanded 4.7 km towards the fjord mouth from 1995.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Snow depth alone, and hence date of snow clearance, cannot precisely define species distribution at landscape scale, as this cannot explain why are they unoccupied patches under shallow snow depths with advanced plant phenology. We nonetheless present a model Arctic system that could form the basis for long term monitoring for climate- driven species shifts.</p

XFVHDL4: A hardware synthesis tool for fuzzy systems

This paper presents a design technique that allows the automatic synthesis of fuzzy inference systems and accelerates the exploration of the design space of these systems. It is based on generic VHDL code generation which can be implemented on a programmable device (FPGA) or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The set of CAD tools supporting this technique includes a specific environment for designing fuzzy systems, in combination with commercial VHDL simulation and synthesis tools. As demonstrated by the analyzed design examples, the described development strategy speeds up the stages of description, synthesis, and functional verification of fuzzy inference systems.Comunidad Europea FP7-IST-248858Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación TEC2008-04920Junta de Andalucía P08-TIC-0367

Accidental catheter removal in critically ill patients: a prospective and observational study

INTRODUCTION: The importance of accidental catheter removal (ACR) lies in the complications caused by the removal itself and by catheter reinsertion. To the best of our knowledge, no studies have analyzed accidental removal of various types of catheters in the intensive care unit (ICU). The objective of the present study was to analyze the incidence of ACR for all types of catheters in the ICU. METHODS: This was a prospective and observational study, conducted in a 24-bed medical/surgical ICU in a university hospital. We included all consecutive patients admitted to the ICU over 18 months (1 May 2000 to 31 October 2001). The incidences of ACR for all types of catheters (both per 100 catheters and per 100 catheter-days) were determined. RESULTS: A total of 988 patients were included. There were no significant differences in ACR incidence between the four central venous access sites (peripheral, jugular, subclavian and femoral) or between the four arterial access sites (radial, femoral, pedal and humeral). However, the incidence of ACR was higher for arterial than for central venous catheters (1.12/100 catheter-days versus 2.02/100 catheter-days; P < 0.001). The incidences of ACR/100 nonvascular catheter-days were as follows: endotracheal tube 0.79; nasogastric tube 4.48; urinary catheter 0.32; thoracic drain 0.56; abdominal drain 0.67; and intraventricular brain drain 0.66. CONCLUSION: We found ACR incidences for central venous catheter, arterial catheter, endotracheal tube, nasogastric tube and urinary catheter that are similar to those reported in previous studies. We could not find studies that analyzed the ACR for thoracic, abdominal, intraventricular brain and cardiac surgical drains, but we believe that our rates are acceptable. To minimize ACR, it is necessary to monitor its incidence carefully and to implement preventive measures. In our view, according to establish quality standards, findings should be reported as ACR incidence per 100 catheters and per 100 catheter-days, for all types of catheters

Texture perception determined by doy protein isolate and inulin addition in potato puree: links with mechanical and microstructural features

This study evaluated the effect of adding soy protein isolate (SPI) and long-chain perception, trained and untrained panel inulin (INL) blends with 10 different SPI : INL ratios on the textural, rheological and 17 microstructural properties of freshly made and frozen/thawed potato puree. All the potato puree samples were subjected to a sensory texture pro?le analysis and a 21 trained panel rated the intensity of six descriptors, while an untrained panel did the same on six selected frozen/thawed products. The main SPI : INL ratio effect remained signi?cant for all the descriptors evaluated, when the analysis of variance was applied considering the untrained assessors as random effects. However, only trained panel scores for creaminess corresponded well with untrained assessor. Rheological ?ow index values were linked with variations in perceived consistency, and geometric and surface textural attributes were explained by structural features such as the presence of INL crystallites and SPI coarse strands

Arterial catheter-related infection of 2,949 catheters

INTRODUCTION: Which particular arterial catheter site is associated with a higher risk of infection remains controversial. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines of 1996 and the latest guidelines of 2002 make no recommendation about which site or sites minimize the risk of catheter-related infection. The objective of the present study was to analyze the incidence of catheter-related local infection (CRLI) and catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) of arterial catheters according to different access sites. METHODS: We performed a prospective observational study of all consecutive patients admitted to the 24 bed medical and surgical intensive care unit of a 650 bed university hospital during three years (1 May 2000 to 30 April 2003). RESULTS: A total of 2,018 patients was admitted to the intensive care unit during the study period. The number of arterial catheters, the number of days of arterial catheterization, the number of CRLIs and the number of CRBSIs were as follows: total, 2,949, 17,057, 20 and 10; radial, 2,088, 12,007, 9 and 3; brachial, 112, 649, 0 and 0; dorsalis pedis, 131, 754, 0 and 0; and femoral, 618, 3,647, 11 and 7. The CRLI incidence was significantly higher for femoral access (3.02/1,000 catheter-days) than for radial access (0.75/1,000 catheter-days) (odds ratio, 1.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.10–2.13; P = 0.01). The CRBSI incidence was significantly higher for femoral access (1.92/1,000 catheter-days) than for radial access (0.25/1,000 catheter-days) (odds ratio, 1.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.15–3.41; P = 0.009). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that a femoral site increases the risk of arterial catheter-related infection

La participación del alumnado en el Proyecto Piloto "Agenda 21 Escolar" en Málaga

En la ciudad de Málaga se puso marcha, en otoño del 2013, un proceso participativo donde la comunidad educativa se comprometía a trabajar la sostenibilidad y la calidad ambiental siguiendo la metodología de la Agenda 21 local. Para lograrlo, se creó el Programa Educativo Agenda 21 escolar, cuyos componentes básicos son la participación comunitaria, la gestión sostenible del centro educativo y del municipio y la innovación curricular. Siete centros educativos se adscribieron al programa, eligieron una temática ambiental y la trabajaron durante el curso en cinco fases: organización y planificación, sensibilización y motivación, diagnóstico y reflexión, plan de acción y evaluación. De este modo, cada centro educativo creó su propio proyecto. El proyecto Agenda 21 escolar brinda la oportunidad a toda la comunidad educativa que exista una participación activa en las dinámicas de enseñanza formal y no formal, en el propio centro educativo y en su ámbito local, donde la participación del alumnado es clave para alcanzar su éxito. Por ello, el objetivo de la investigación fue evaluar la participación de una muestra de 84 alumnos/as del tercer curso de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria perteneciente a cinco centros educativos pilotos adscritos al programa. El paradigma de la investigación es empírico-analítico y el diseño descriptivo. El instrumento que se utilizó para medir la participación fue un cuestionario de escala aditiva de Likert formado por veinte ítems. El cuestionario usado fue cerrado y ordinal, de este modo los datos que se obtuvieron se pudieron tratar en hojas de cálculo. En cada centro educativo se averiguó la puntuación total que cada estudiante obtuvo del cuestionario, así como la de los/as coordinadores/as. También se calcularon las medianas y las modas en cada ítem por centro educativo, el porcentaje de las frecuencias de las respuestas del alumnado en cada fase, y el porcentaje final de la participación de la muestra en el proyecto. Se elaboraron tablas y gráficas, facilitando la interpretación de los resultados, y se comprobaron si se alcanzaron los objetivos propuestos en la investigación. Una vez analizados los resultados se concluyó que la participación de la muestra en todas las fases del proyecto no fue verdadera, salvo en la fase del plan de acción donde la participación del alumnado fue informada pero sólo asignada, es decir, en esta fase el alumnado se limitó a realizar las actividades que les propuso el profesorado.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Borderline personality disorder: The challenge of crisis management

El manejo del trastorno límite de personalidad puede ser un reto para el clínico, especialmente en elservicio de urgencias hospitalarias, donde se hacen necesarias decisiones rápidas que deben ser ademáslas más beneficiosas y en conjunto con el paciente, favoreciendo su autonomía y participación en laresolución de la crisis.En este artículo pretendemos revisar el manejo de la crisis de una forma práctica y, basándonos enlas guías clínicas más recientes, proporcionar una serie de pautas a los clínicos que se enfrentan a estassituaciones para manejar adecuadamente las crisis con recomendaciones basadas en la evidencia cientí-fica que tenemos hasta ahora y claves para la valoración de la conducta suicida, que es uno de los motivosmás frecuentes por lo que estos pacientes acuden a los servicios de urgencias. Finalmente revisaremos losdiferentes manejos y encuadres, repasando las indicaciones de ingreso hospitalario, así como los objetivosdel mismo.Managing patients with borderline personality disorder can pose a substantial challenge for psychia-trists. This is especially the case when patients with this disorder are seen in the emergency room, asclinicians must make rapid decisions that balance clinical benefit and the will of the patient, fosteringtheir autonomy and participation.A review is presented in this article of the strategies for practical management of crises. Based on themost recent clinical guidelines, a series of insights are provided for facing these situations, includingrecommendations based on scientific evidence, as well as the key steps for assessing suicidal behaviour,which is one of the most frequent causes behind visits to the emergency department in this patientpopulation. Finally, a review is presented on the different management approaches and frameworks,analysing the indications and aims of hospital admission.Instituto de Salud Carlos III PI16/01852Delegación del Gobierno para el Plan Nacional de Drogas 20151073American Foundation for Suicide Prevention LSRG-1-005-1

Estudio de la obesidad y del sobrepeso como factores de riesgo de la prevalencia y severidad del asma en niños de Valencia

[email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]: La obesidad y el sobrepeso se han descrito como factores de riesgo asociados a la prevalencia y severidad del asma en niños y adolescentes. El objetivo del estudio ha sido el valorar el papel de la obesidad en el asma infantil. Ámbito de estudio y sujetos:Estudio realizado en niños y adolescentes entre 8 y 15 años, elegidos por un muestreo aleatorio tipo cluster entre los niños que estudiaban en 80 colegios, el cual representa el 30% de los colegios de la ciudad de Valencia. Material y métodos:El análisis de los datos se organizó en dos grupos, obesos (aquellos niños en un percentil superior al 85 del Índice de Masa Corporal (kg/m2), tomando como referencia la población española) y no obesos, cuando no cumplian esta condición. Se calcularon la prevalencia de los diferentes parámetros con un intervalo de confianza al 95%, y el riesgo relativo (RR) de los síntomas compatibles con asma entre niños obesos comparándolos con los no obesos. Resultados: No se obtuvo un riesgo relativo significativo para la obesidad con respecto al asma en aquellos niños por encima del percentil 85. Por otra parte, un incremento en el riesgo en relación con la severidad del asma se observó con la obesidad, principalmente en el percentil 85 (RR = 1,51 de sufrir entre 4-12 ataques de pitos y RR = 1,86 de sufrir más de 12 ataques en niños obesos frente a los no obesos) Conclusiónes: En este estudio, no identificamos un riesgo más alto de asma entre niños obesos frente a los no obesos, aunque encontramos que hubiera un riesgo más alto de severidad de síntomas asmáticos. En relación con la severidad del asma, observamos un riesgo más alto de ataques de pitos y sibilancias entre los niños obesos en los percentiles 85 y 95 del Indice de Masa Corporal.Background: Obesity and overweight have been described as factors associated with asthma. Our aim was to evaluate the role obesity plays on asthma in children. Scope and subjects: A study carried out on children and teenagers between 8 and 15 years of age, chosen for a cluster-type random sampling from children who studied in 80 schools, which represents 30% of the schools in the city of Valencia. Material and Methods: The analysed data was organized into two groups, obese (from the Body Mass Index (Kg/m2)), showing children with a percentile over 85% of the measuring reference for the Spanish population) and non obese, when they did not fulfil this condition. The prevalence of the different parameters studied was calculated by an Interval of Confidence of 95%. The risk was calculated (Relative Risk) from those symptoms compatible with asthma among obese children compared to non obese children. Results: No significant relative risk (RR) was seen for obesity with regards to asthma in those percentiles of obesity over 85. Otherwise, an increase in the relative risk (RR) regarding the severity of asthma was seen in relation to obesity, mainly in the 85th percentile (RR = 1.51 of suffering between 4-12 wheezing attacks and RR = 1.86 of suffering more than 12 attacks in obese children as opposed to non obese children). Conclusions: In this study, we did not identify a higher risk of asthma among obese children than among non obese children, although we did find there was a higher risk of severity of asthmatic symptoms. As far as the severity of the asthma is concerned, we saw a higher risk of wheezing and whistling attacks among obese children with the 85th and the 95th percentiles according to the Body Mass [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]