Rare diseases of the anterior segment of the eye: update on diagnosis and management

This special issue is focused on the current approaches used to identify and manage rare diseases of the anterior segment of the eye, which range from congenital to acquired disorders that are caused by ocular or systemic conditions and often have consequences that extend beyond the anterior segment of the eye

Inequality of outcomes and inequality of opportunities in Brazil

The authors depart from John Roemer's theory of equality of opportunities. They seek to determine what part of observed outcome inequality may be attributed to differences in observed"circumstances,"including family background, and what part is due to"personal efforts."The authors use a microeconometric technique to simulate what the distribution of outcomes would look like if circumstances were the same for everybody. They apply this technique to Brazilian data from the 1996 household survey, both for earnings and for household incomes. The authors show that observed circumstances are a major source of outcome inequality in Brazil, probably more so than in other countries for which information is available. Nevertheless, the level of inequality after observed circumstances are equalized remains very high in Brazil.Economic Theory&Research,Public Health Promotion,Curriculum&Instruction,Teaching and Learning,Health Monitoring&Evaluation,Health Monitoring&Evaluation,Teaching and Learning,Economic Theory&Research,Inequality,Poverty Impact Evaluation

Evidence toward the potential absence of relationship between temporal and spatial heartbeats perception

Many interoceptive tasks (i.e. measuring the sensitivity to bodily signals) are based upon heartbeats perception. However, the temporal perception of heartbeats—when heartbeats are felt—varies among individuals. Moreover, the spatial perception of heartbeats—where on the body heartbeats are felt—has not been characterized in relation to temporal. This study used a multi-interval heartbeat discrimination task in which participants judged the timing of their own heartbeats in relation to external tones. The perception of heartbeats in both time and spatial domains, and relationship between these domains was investigated. Heartbeat perception occurred on average ~ 250 ms after the ECG R-wave, most frequently sampled from the left part of the chest. Participants’ confidence in discriminating the timing of heartbeats from external tones was maximal at 0 ms (tone played at R-wave). Higher confidence was related to reduced dispersion of sampling locations, but Bayesian statistics indicated the absence of relationship between temporal and spatial heartbeats perception. Finally, the spatial precision of heartbeat perception was related to state-anxiety scores, yet largely independent of cardiovascular parameters. This investigation of heartbeat perception provides fresh insights concerning interoceptive signals that contribute to emotion, cognition and behaviour

Tuberculose extrapulmonar em pacientes com AIDS na cidade do Rio Grande, Brasil. Diagnóstico laboratorial

ABSTRACTOne hundred two specimens of extrapulmonary material from 74 AIDS patients from the AIDS Service of University Hospital, FURG, Rio Grande, RS, Brazil, were examined at Mycobacteria Laboratory, between September 1997 and December 1999. This study had the aim to evaluate laboratoy importance in the diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis in AIDS patients with clinical suggestive symptoms of tuberculosis. Acid-fast bacilli (AFB) stains were performed using the Kinyon Method (cold stainning). Mycobacterial isolation was made In the Ogawa medium. The Ogawa medium added with p-nitrobenzoic acid, 2-tiophenocarboxylic acid hidrazide and pyruvic acid sodium salt was used to the Identification of mycobacterial species. Confirmation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was done by the niacin test. The extrapulmonary tuberculosis diagnosis was done in 12,74% of specimens from 17,56% of the patients. Distribution of specimens with positive results in relation to the obtained sites were: 8/13 lymph node biopsies, 2/13 liver biopsies, 2/13 ascitic nuid and 1/13 pleural nuid. ABF were found on microscopic examination from 7/13 specimens and 10/13 in culture. The microscopic examination of ABF stain was the only method responsible for the extrapulmonary tuberculosis diagnostic in 3/13 cases and the culture in 6/13 cases. Among the positive specimens at microscopic examination or ABF stains, 6/7 were lymph node biopsies and In ascitic fluid. The used methods in the diagnosis, of the extrapulmonary tuberculosis showed good results, by this way we strongly recommend the realization of both as routine in our place.REV PORT PNEUMOL 2000; VI (4): 277-28

Analysis and agrometeorological modelling of grapevine responses to different trellising systems

As the greater part of current viticulture is based on traditional trellising systems, usually in single hedgewall training, the aim of this research is to evaluate the possibility of introducing alternative trellising systems in order to improve canopy architecture and leaf distribution, and optimize light interception. In 2001 and 2002 field measurements (agrometeorological variables, vegetative growth, productivity and physiological behaviour) and modeling were performed on Sangiovese grapevines in a Tuscan vineyard with two trellis systems: a single hedgewall and a low double hedgewall (lyre trellis). The vines were spur pruned and cordon trained and the planting density was 6,667 vines/hectare. The two trellising systems were distributed in a randomized block design with 4 replications of 3 rows each. Data were collected from the central row. The simulation was obtained using a model, implemented with the Stella language, consisting of three sub-modules concerning photosynthesis, respiration and biomass accumulation. Light interception was greater for the lyre system than for the single cordon, while no differences were obtained in single leaf photosynthesis measurements between the trellis systems. Vegetative growth was higher for the lyre, indicating that lyre had a higher whole plant photosynthesis. The lyre system had greater yield due to a higher cluster number and a higher cluster weight compared to the single cordon training. No differences in must sugar content, titratable acidity or anthocyanins were observed. Models satisfactorily simulate the growth of grapevine under the single cordon system, while the growth of the lyre vine was extremely underestimated.

Minimal H\"older regularity implying finiteness of integral Menger curvature

We study two families of integral functionals indexed by a real number $p > 0$. One family is defined for 1-dimensional curves in $\R^3$ and the other one is defined for $m$-dimensional manifolds in $\R^n$. These functionals are described as integrals of appropriate integrands (strongly related to the Menger curvature) raised to power $p$. Given $p > m(m+1)$ we prove that $C^{1,\alpha}$ regularity of the set (a curve or a manifold), with $\alpha > \alpha_0 = 1 - \frac{m(m+1)}p$ implies finiteness of both curvature functionals ($m=1$ in the case of curves). We also show that $\alpha_0$ is optimal by constructing examples of $C^{1,\alpha_0}$ functions with graphs of infinite integral curvature

Ripples and Rush-to-the-Poles in the photospheric magnetic field

The distribution of magnetic fields of positive and negative polarities over the surface of the Sun was studied on the basis of synoptic maps NSO Kitt Peak (1978-2016). To emphasize the contribution of weak fields the following transformation of synoptic maps was made: for each synoptic map only magnetic fields with modulus less than 5 G (|B| < 5 G) were left unchanged on each synoptic map while larger or smaller fields were replaced by the corresponding limiting values +5 G or -5 G. Cyclic variations of the magnetic field polarity have been observed associated with two types of magnetic field flows in the photosphere. Rush-to-the-Poles (RTTP) form near the maximum of solar activity and have the same sign as the following sunspots. The lifetime of RTTP is 3 yrs, during which time they drift from latitudes 30 - 40 deg. to the pole, causing the polarity change of the Sun's polar field. We studied another type of variations which has the form of series of flows with individual flows of 0.5-1 yr and with alternating polarity (ripples). Ripples are located in time between two RTTP and drift from the equator to the latitudes of 50 deg. Magnetic field variations were considered in 6 time intervals along the latitudes +33 deg. in the northern and -33 deg. in the southern hemispheres. The time change of the field strength was approximated by the sinusoidal function. The period of variation of ripples was 1.1 yr for the N-hemisphere and 1.3 yr for the S-hemisphere. The amplitude of variation was higher for the time intervals where the polar field had a positive sign. Within the same flow, fields of positive and negative signs developed in anti-phase.Comment: 15 pages, 12 figure

Correlations and charge distributions of medium heavy nuclei

The effects of long- and short-range correlations on the charge distributions of some medium and heavy nuclei are investigated. The long-range correlations are treated within the Random Phase Approximation framework and the short-range correlations with a model inspired to the Correlation Basis Function theory. The two type of correlations produce effects of the same order of magnitude. A comparison with the empirical charge distribution difference between 206Pb and 205Tl shows the need of including both correlations to obtain a good description of the data.Comment: 20 pages, Latex, accepted for publication in Jour. Phys.

Atomistic modelling of processes involved in poling of PVDF

Poling processes play an important role in the design and preparation of many ferroelectric materials for practical uses in the field of sensors and actuators. Particularly, the processing of piezoelectric beta-poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PPVDF) involves mechanical stretching in order to transform the extruded a-phase into the P-phase and poling of this later material in order to optimize the piezoelectric response. This poling process affects the orientation of the dipolar moments of the beta-chains and improves the alpha to beta transformation. Poling processes in general and in PVDF in particular are still quite empirical because a firm understanding of the physical processes involved in poling has not been fully established. In the present work we use a self-consistent quantum molecular dynamics method to study the effect of the electric field on both alpha and beta chains of PVDF. The orientation of the dipolar moments in each chain as a function of an electric field and the accompanying structural modifications due to these reorientations will be the main parameters discussed. The theoretical results will be used to better understand the changes at a molecular level due to the poling process, as observed in FTIR experiments, performed in poled and non-poled beta-PVDF from the same batch.Comunidade Europeia (CE). Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER)Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) – Programa Operacional “Ciência, Tecnologia, Inovação POCTI/CTM/41574/2001, SFRH/BD/11231/2002, Grant POCTI/CTM/33501/99

Massive black holes lurking in Milky Way satellites

As massive black holes (MBHs) grow from lower-mass seeds, it is natural to expect that a leftover population of progenitor MBHs should also exist in the present Universe. Dwarf galaxies undergo a quiet merger history, and as a result, we expect that dwarfs observed in the local Universe retain some ‘memory’ of the original seed mass distribution. Consequently, the properties of MBHs in nearby dwarf galaxies may provide clean indicators of the efficiency of MBH formation. In order to examine the properties of MBHs in dwarf galaxies, we evolve different MBH populations within a Milky Way halo from high redshift to today. We consider two plausible MBH formation mechanisms: ‘massive seeds’ formed via gas-dynamical instabilities and a Population III remnant seed model. ‘Massive seeds’ have larger masses than Population III remnants, but form in rarer hosts. We dynamically evolve all haloes merging with the central system, taking into consideration how the interaction modifies the satellites, stripping their outer mass layers. We compare the population of satellites to the results of N -body simulations and to the observed population of dwarf galaxies. We find good agreement for the velocity, radius and luminosity distributions. We compute different properties of the MBH population hosted in these satellites. We find that some MBHs have been completely stripped of their surrounding dark matter halo, leaving them ‘naked.’ We find that for the most part MBHs retain the original mass, thus providing a clear indication of what the properties of the seeds were. We derive the black hole occupation fraction (BHOF) of the satellite population at z = 0 . MBHs generated as ‘massive seeds’ have large masses that would favour their identification, but their typical BHOF is always below 40 per cent and decreases to ≲1 per cent for observed dwarf galaxy sizes. In contrast, Population III remnants have a higher BHOF, but their masses have not grown much since formation, inhibiting their detection.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/79188/1/j.1365-2966.2010.17189.x.pd